A spell on you
by AuchMel
Summary: Alfred is part of a resistance in a world full of magic. They're rebelling against the royal family's forces which grow stronger each day and it's their job to stop it. Hopefully they'll be able to stop the tyrannical reign of the family, but who is this new mage? he's causing them a lot more trouble than they thought he could, but he might be useful. The more the merrier! USUK
1. Chapter 1: The meeting

The sun was shining bright, high in the sky in a mildly cloudy day. The wind lazily blew through the land in such a way that would make you sigh in content, the calming sound of leaves rustling echoed through the land, accompanied by the small chirps of birds nearby. There were some woodland creatures scampering about in their daily routines, carrying nuts or little twigs to build homes, they chattered loudly but it would usually get droned out by the cicadas' humming. To sum it up, they were usual forest sounds.

Other than that, there was also a village nearby, one filled with busy people. Everyone bustled about, heading to their jobs, going home or simply meeting up with friends for recreational activities, it wouldn't really look like such a special village to outsiders, but to the people it was a safe haven. Smoke rose from the small buildings and houses, dissipating into the air once it reached a certain height, it wasn't enough to block out the glorious cloud scattered blue sky though. Oh no, that wouldn't be happening any time soon.

The villagers always made sure that they took care of what they had, especially the environment. For the faeries would offer them protection for nurturing it. Oh yeah you read it, faeries.

It isn't an oddity of course, in fact it's very much normal! Yes, here beings such as faeries, familiars and dragons exists, they have for over centuries now. It wouldn't be a surprise if you ran into one of them, but they mean you no harm, as long as you promise the same thing back. Although normal people don't usually see them, they usually only reveal themselves to the most purest of hearts. That or you have to be a mage, warlock, witch and anything else of the sort. A little bit of a cheat there eh?

But their power is something that many have tried to seize for themselves, the royal family included. It's been a decade since the assassination of the previous royal family, the throne is now taken over by a family from the parliament, but they never did much for the kingdom and the taxes were ridiculous! The reason why no one started to complain is because they had hired magic users to protect them. And powerful ones at that. It wasn't fair.

Someone had to do something about it, this game has gone on too far, just because they had magic on their side doesn't mean they could instantly put themselves on top of everyone. Alfred F. Jones took in a deep breath, smiling at the familiar smell of the village, one that could be a mix of cakes and lavenders, he casually walked through town square, greeting each person who passes close as warmly as possible. He always used his full charm to make everyone comfortable around him, never bad to have too many friends right?

Of course a handsome young man like himself is always welcomed everywhere, with his dusty blond locks, sparkling blue eyes, shining smile and perky personality it's almost impossible not to feel a little bit happier with his presence flouncing around, you really can't avoid it. He stopped in front of a building, sizing it up before entering inside, he was instantly met with loud and happy music and people dancing around in a merry manner "Oi Alfred! Wanna dance?" A girl called out, her friends giggling behind her. Alfred grinned at them but shook his head.

"Sorry girls, the hero's got work to do! Maybe next time kay?" They looked crestfallen but soon went back to their merry making once new partners came up. Alfred maneuvered through the dancing crowd, glancing over his shoulder ever so often for anyone following him, though he didn't have much to worry because the crowd covered him from view. He reached the end of the room and touched the wall for any sinking parts, positive about no one following him he pressed down on one spot and stepped back as a small part of the wall started to open up slowly.

Alfred glanced back at the people in the room, they moved around in an almost frantic manner but still in an enjoyable way, he crouched down into the square hole in the wall and crawled inside. He entered a dimly lit room, half the size of the previous room he was in, he stood up and started to walk forward then paused. The blond looked back at the hole and made his way back to close it "Can't have people seeing that" He nodded once and proceeded to the middle of the room where a few people around a table stood.

You would say that he may be into some dangerous things, but that's where you're dead wrong. Alfred was part of a group who's rebelling against the royal family and their ways, it was first formed when the mages had ransacked their village when they had not completed the yearly tribute. It was horrible, houses were destroyed, crops were trampled upon, and what's worse is that their tribute was doubled to 'make up' for the one they failed to deliver. It was a hard year but they managed to pull through, at least they were presently doing well.

The villagers had learned of their little resistance group after a year of getting news of mages being beaten or troops being scared off from their posts, most of the villagers were willing to help, thus the group of dancing people covering for the meeting room outside, but some refused and just kept to themselves, they'd rather not get into anymore trouble than they were already in. Sometimes it's better to just stay quiet and pretend nothing was happening, even if it only allowed a short amount of happiness, it was still happiness none the less

"Ah, glad to see you didn't get your head blown off Alfred, welcome back" His half brother, Matthew Williams, greeted, folding up a piece of paper as he approached "Yeah! Good to be back bro, buuut I don't see any progression on your end, rough day?" The other people in the room let out a simultaneous sigh "I don't think 'rough day' can cover it aru…" Yao Wang slumped down into his chair, careful to not let his injured arm hit anything. Alfred frowned, finally noticing almost everyone had something bandaged "What happened?"

"Apparently the royal family has a new mage, guy's relentless" Matthew answered for everyone, he knew how tired they were, his hand hovered over his shoulder but he refused to touch it because it had hurt the first time he did "Tch, he was so unawesome" Gilbert Beilschmidt crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance, his favorite shirt had been ruined because of the fight and his little pet bird got scared off and now he couldn't find him. Damn mage's gonna pay "Whoa whoa wait a minute!" Alfred raised both his hands up, his eyes darted at everyone in the room "Are you telling me that all of you got defeated by _one _mage?! Duuude!"

"Aiyah! If you had been there you too would have been beaten!" Yao stood back up in protest, he wouldn't stand for someone looking down on them especially Alfred, how could he know what they went through? "No way! A hero always wins against the bad guys! I could've totally beaten the mage guy and his sparkle powers!" Alfred announced proudly. Matthew got in between Yao and his brother just in case anything starts boiling over the wrong way, thankfully Yao didn't have any intention of strangling Alfred in a room full of people, an empty room on the other hand….

"_Anyway! _Back to the matter at hand…" Matthew took out a rolled up paper and spread it out on top of the table, it was a map of their country, marking each territory that belonged to either the people, the royal family or the magical beings. Majority were marked with dragons and second to that was the royal family, and they were starting to catch up "We were ambushed here…" He pointed at a path near a dragon's keep, it surprised Alfred with how near they actually were but decided not to ask because his brother might explain later on "Usually the royal mages never go here because of the dragon, and if they do they always try to refrain from causing any trouble or using magic. But this one did"

Dragons were one of the most respected beings in the world, not just because of their fearsome power and strength, but also because they were very wise. There had been stories of dragons being teachers once, a very long time ago when it was natural for them to walk among humans, they taught people of the world about magic and how everything worked or came to be. But the reason of their present seclusion from humanity still remains a mystery that even scholars and history books can't answer. They tend to stay in caves or abandoned castles filled with riches and particular scrolls that most would be dying to get their hands on, it was their treasures and theirs to guard.

They wouldn't let anything come close to their territory, especially if they were a threat to the dragons themselves. It wasn't new if there had been news of someone being mauled, burned or eaten by a dragon if they came too close or actually had the gall to try and steal one of the dragon's treasures. By the course of time, at least majority of the human race had learned that it would be better to just leave them be and stay away, even if there were still some who are too hard headed to listen to reason. Mages know well enough how dangerous a dragon is, none of them would dare cause commotion near a dragon's keep. Well maybe not the one that attacked the group.

"Okay so either the guy's really stupid or really brave, was the dragon there?" Alfred asked, tilting his head slightly to the side in mild interest and confusion "Actually no, but it would've been pretty awesome to see one, though not as awesome as me. And do you know what else would be awesome? If I was riding it!" Gilbert laughed, accidentally hitting the table with his injured hand. He turned a little bit paler, before wincing and drawing his hand back. He bit his tongue so he wouldn't let out any unawesome sounds in front of his lackeys, what they can't deny it! He nursed his injured hand and forced a grin

"Didn't even hurt!" Yao rolled his eyes and pushed past him "Now that you mention it aru, I too didn't see the dragon there, but I did hear some sort of low growl from within the keep, maybe it just didn't bother to come out?" He suggested. It's unusual, but not impossible, for a dragon to not look out from it's keep when there's something going on so close to it, it only happens when they think it's not worth their presence or they might have been either injured or sick "Who knows with dragons, but let's not just beat around the bush guys! Any chance this new mage gave a name?"

"No he didn't, all he said was 'You are forbidden from this area rebels, and by order of the royal family I cannot allow you to pass' of course we said otherwise but that was before he started to go all offensive on us" Matthew said, fixing the bandage on his leg, grimacing when he saw that a wound started to open up again, staining the bandage with blood. Alfred raised an eyebrow "He sounds kinda boring if you ask me, as if we haven't heard that line already, why can't mages be creative?"

"For your information Alfred, we aren't talking about the creativity level of a mage, that guy could actually become a threat, he isn't like the other mages we've fought before, I'm telling you! Something's up with that guy" Matthew shot back, unwilling to put up with his brother's idiotic remarks today. What stressed him out isn't just the mage, it's how he wasn't able to nullify his magic. He had recently discovered his skill not too long ago when a mage jumped them on one of their reconnaissance missions, he was able to nullify a spell when the mage tried to cast it on him. Ever since then, he's been one of the most valued and commended member of the resistance.

But the little 'Who are you' bid still goes on among them, Matthew found it quite annoying but learned to live with it "Nah, probably just because you were tired or something, didn't we battle those guards before I split up with you guys? You're just drained, that's all!" Alfred tried to put in a happier mood, sensing the gloom practically dripping down on them, but alas! The great hero's attempts were in vain "Al please, we were able to recuperate for an hour, we weren't tired. And you should know, I'm never tired! Being tired is for people who don't have the awesome like I do!" Gilbert said, jabbing a thumb on his chest with a cheeky smile, well one out of three isn't so bad.

"So! Did you hear any news from Kiku?" Alfred quickly changed the subject. Yao twitched at the sound of the younger's name, he sighed "Nothing for over two weeks. Aiyah, I swear if that boy gets into trouble it will be the end of me" Kiku Honda was a royal mage they befriended. He had run away from the royal family a year ago, saying that they were dishonorable and unkind, they stumbled upon him when they were out patrolling for the night, he was camping out on the outskirts of the village.

At first they were suspicious and took him in for questioning, they kept him as a prisoner for a few days, but eventually Kiku had proved he was telling the truth about him running away from the royal family, and not long after that he joined the resistance. He was of great help since he knew the battle strategies of the army, they'd been able to take down a lot of enemy camps, but as time went on the soldiers started to form new strategies that even Kiku sometimes had a hard time figuring out. For now he's gone M.I.A for whatever reason he had, the resistance got worried that he turned on them, but all they could do now was trust Kiku and hope he'll return soon.

"Yeah, I'm starting to worry about the guy too Yao" Alfred almost missed the hint of denial that crossed Yao's face, said person just looked away from him and glared at the ground "What if that Ivan guy got him? Didn't we clash swords with him once? I got really bad vibes from him" Matthew shot Gilbert a look "Don't even suggest that, from what I know they had history- Gilbert I didn't mean _that_ kind of history! Shut up- and Kiku doesn't seem to be handling being around the guy that well, and may I quote he said that; 'That man is a monster created by fallout from nuclear tests! He tears down buildings! He _breaths fire!_" Matthew ended with a snarl, curling his fingers as if imitating a cat showing it's claws.

"I did not know you also hated Ivan aru" Yao said, inching away from Matthew, Alfred was stifling his laughter "Yeah dude-pfft- you didn't hafta-mpph- e-end it like that" Matthew sighed "No, I was simply doing what Kiku did because he literally did that at the end of it and stated it was unacceptable to pronounce it without ending it as if it's the one thing in the world you despise the most" He shook his head and looked back down the map "Okay now we're really getting off the topic, it's essential that we pass through this path to get to the next town and take down the squadron there, they've been inventing a new sort of flying machine that has firearms attached to it and not only that but it can withstand magic attacks. I got a report from Lukas a month ago, his magic didn't work on the material that machine is covered in and they were forced to retreat"

"Pfft, his magic was probably too unawesome for that mission anyway!" Gilbert commented, slamming his supposedly injured hand on the table, it started to get numb anyway so he didn't really mind it at all. Matthew ignored him "They're asking for our help and it takes us at least four days to get from here to Avia, the run in with the mage cost us valuable time but we need to know how to get around _him _and the dragon while still being able to stay on the path" They went silent. Each of them thinking,- or at least that's what it looks like- of a plan. Alfred grinned and Matthew caught it, he shook his head "I know that look Al and whatever it is you thought of is a big fat no"

"Come on mattie! It's a good plan! We sneak into the dragon's keep and-"

"DEFINITELY A NO! NEXT!"

"Wait! Hear me out! Pleaaaase Matt!" Alfred conjured up his biggest puppy dog face, he practically broke the barrier that was Matthew's personal space and pouted at him while his hands were positioned on his chest close to each other "Fine just stop doing that! It freaks me out! It's almost like your eyes are gonna pop out of their sockets, Jeez!" Alfred brightened and jumped away from him "OKAY! So here's my totally-super-awesome-mega-excellent-plan-alpha; so you guys said that the dragon didn't even come out of it's cave right? So there's a fifty-fifty chance that it might be sick or injured! So all we gotta do is sneak in and sneak out!"

"And how is that a good plan genius? I'd rather not have my awesome face be melted off my awesome bones which will still look awesome because it's me by the way" Yao sighed but nodded in agreement "I never thought I'd say this but Gilbert's right aru, going near a dragon's keep is too dangerous" Alfred huffed and crossed his arms "Well okay fine! Let's not have a cool action packed adventure!" He childishly stuck his tongue out and turned around to face away from them and at a wall, silently having a tantrum. Matthew shook his head at his brother and turned back to the other two "It may be a stupid idea but it's the only plan we got, if we took the long way to Avia it'll take us about a week and the squadron would have completed the machine by then judging from Lukas' report, and we definitely don't want that to happen. But instead of actually going in the dragon's keep, why not just go around it and then get back to the path once we've crossed the keep?" Alfred glanced over his shoulder once and back at the wall "Still not as cool as my plan though.." he mumbled.

"Al stop sulking, it's still your plan, I just tweaked it so-Oh I don't know- there wouldn't be a threat of getting our insides pulled out and mauled to pieces" Matthew quipped before looking back at the other two "So what do you guys think?"

"Sounds lame, that's why the awesome me will grace it with my presence!" Definitely a yes from Gilbert "I don't know aru, it still seems dangerous" Yao shifted nervously, he had a run in with a dragon before and it wasn't pretty, I didn't like the idea of getting close to one the most. Matthew sensed his distress, he looked around for a piece of paper then held it up when he found it "I can summon my familiar if you want, he'll give us a few minutes of invisibility that even a dragon can't see through, will you be okay with that?" Yao looked at the paper then at Matthew, he frowned slightly then nodded.

For Matthew, summoning a familiar will take a lot of energy out of him, so he thought it best to end the meeting for today "Okay, we'll start tomorrow, grab your supplies and get plenty of rest. The meeting is closed" Everyone sighed out in relief, including Alfred. They made their way to the wall and opened the small entrance again, going out one by one. Gilbert was the first one out, saying he had to meet up with his brother first to let him know he'll be off, then Yao who was going to return to his normal job as a doctor. Soon it was just Matthew and Alfred "Hey bro" Alfred called out to Matthew who stopped going up the stairs to look back at him "What?"

"Just don't push yourself tomorrow okay?" Matthew blinked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion before nodding stiffly "A-Alright, I won't…" He went up the stairs and into his room, locking the door behind him. Alfred sighed and ran his hand through his hair, hoping that tomorrow won't cause as much trouble as he feared it might.

* * *

**A/N: I've had this idea stuck in my head for a while now, it's actually inspired by a few things I've read or watched. At any rate, thanks for reading this first chapter~ that is all!**


	2. Chapter 2: The mage

They were up by dawn, it was still cold out and the streets were bare, Alfred shivered as he passed through the doors of the cottage he stayed in and stood at the head of the steps outside. He wrapped a scarf around his neck and pulled his jacket close, he breathed out and watched as his breath became a tiny cloud of smoke in front of him. This is where they first formed the resistance, he thought, that dreadful afternoon when the mages came, they ran for shelter and found Yao here in this small cottage near the woods. It was vivid in his memory, seeing their village slowly fall into destruction beyond a window in one of the rooms in the cottage.

He remembered how useless he felt, it angered him, frustrated him, he couldn't just let innocent people get hurt like that! And the others felt the same too "You ready to go?" He looked at his side as Matthew walked next to him, he adjusted the bag he carried and pushed his glasses back up. Alfred closed the door behind them and picked up the other bags at it's front "Yeah, good to go, where's the other two?"

"We'll meet up with them at the wood's entrance, come on" Matthew went ahead, he descended down the path ahead and soon disappeared from sight. Alfred frowned, he hasn't seen his brother that tense before, with one last look at the village in the distance he followed after Matthew and disappeared in the dark of the path. Even though it was dawn, darkness still surrounded the woods, Alfred lit up a torch and waved it around to see where he was exactly. The woods stretched on as far as the eye can see, the sun was slowly rising in the horizon but the woods remained dark, the path he was on was rough and rocky, bringing a carriage would have been bad around here, the trees up ahead curved down into an arch, almost like a bridge.

"Freaky" he commented, reaching up to break off a twig from a nearby tree "Don't" He stopped short when Matthew spoke up, holding a torch of his own, he had a stern look on his face that Alfred still wasn't used to seeing "The spirits won't like it if you do that" Alfred tensed _'Spirits?!' _He calmed himself down, there can't be spirits around here "Aw come on Matt, don't scare me like that! It's not funny!" Matthew simply smiled and walked on. Alfred huffed and glanced back at the branch he was about to break off, he shuddered and walked faster so he was near his brother at least.

He never believed in spirits, it just wasn't possible! Okay so maybe he didn't believe in magical creatures back then either, but that was before a unicorn sucker punched him with it's hind legs. By the way, no one even believed him when he said he saw a unicorn, they may be magical creatures but they're still rare and considered as a myth, funny how that goes when they live in a world where faeries and goblins dance the tango.

They neared a path intersection, a wooden sign stationed in between it. Alfred saw Gilbert and Yao just waiting for them there-well at least Yao was- Gilbert was sleeping under the sign "Good morning aru" Yao greeted in a sleepy tone, he lifted a little cup to his lips and drank it's contents "Yeah, mornin' Yao, hey is that coffee?" Alfred asked, eying the cup. Matthew pushed him aside to get to Gilbert "Hey! Get up" Gilbert snored loudly in response, Matthew sighed and looked at Yao "Is that hot?" Yao nodded, handing him the cup he held, Alfred whined.

Matthew turned to Gilbert again, kicking him lightly but he still didn't wake up "Have it your way Beilschmidt" He tipped the cup over the sleeping man's head, Gilbert snapped his eyes open and jumped up with a yelp, he ran around in frantic manner until he caught sight of a puddle and unceremoniously dumped himself on it, steam rising from his body "WHAT THE HELL?!" Once he cooled down he stood back up and glared at the new comers, especially Matthew "You don't just dump a cup of…of-"

"Jie tea"

"-Whatever he said, on me!" Matthew gave Yao back his cup and brushed off Gilbert's complaint "Alright, now that everyone's here we just need to carry out the plan. And Al, please try not to make any commotion" Alfred gaped at his brother, had he just hinted what he thinks he just hinted? "Ouch Matt, can't trust me?" Gilbert ignored all of them and took off his shirt so it could dry off, cold be damned he wouldn't let some low grade tea touch his awesome torso. Yao packed up his things and tossed Gilbert his bag, blinking once when he saw the other man bare-chested but soon shrugged it off as a normal occurrence.

He prepared his medicine just in case, Gilbert may be a good fighter but if it's concerning his health, it's another area "Are we going now aru? Or are we going to stand here and argue?" He wasn't so appreciative about the plan of going near a dragon's keep, especially so early in the morning. But he expecting this kind of thing ever since he agreed to join the resistance "Whatever let's just go guys" Alfred was the first to set off to the left path, where the sign pointed to Avia/The dragon's keep, the others followed after him after a few short glances at each other.

They traveled in relative silence, most of them weren't really morning people, Gilbert of course was still brooding over the fact that he lost his Gilbird somewhere around here, that little guy's been with him before he even knew he was there. Yao was looking down on something in his hand, he swiftly shut it closed with a click and stuffed it back into his pocket, he glanced around the forest, noting that a little bit of sunshine was starting to enter through the thick woods. They sky still had a tinge of blue and specks of light dotted on it, but there were warm splashes of orange and a bright yellow starting to consume the once dark sky, but the cold still stayed.

The tall trees loomed over the travelers, they started to uncurl and straighten up again, it was always unsettling to see the trees do that, it's just not natural. There was also the occasional woodland creature scampering nearby, one was a rabbit who quickly ran away once it caught sight of them "Hihihihi" Alfred stopped abruptly causing Matthew, who was reading the map at that time, to bump into him followed by Gilbert, Yao had jumped out of the way just in time "Al? what happened?" Matthew pushed his glasses back up and looked over his brother's shoulder. Alfred on the other hand was looking around.

"Didn't you hear that? Someone was giggling or something" Gilbert rolled his eyes "That's it? 'Someone's giggling'?" He walked in front of them and looked around, shrugged then walked ahead. Matthew sighed and squeezed his brother's shoulder "You're probably just sleep deprived and you just started hearing things, it's not my fault you scared yourself with those ghost stories" He walked past his brother and joined Gilbert up ahead. Yao stopped beside Alfred and shook his head "Aiyah, you should really stop smelling my unmixed medicine Alfred" Was all he said before also walking ahead of him.

Alfred watched them disbelievingly, he looked around again, determined to find the source of the laughter. He could have missed the small flash of blue light if he hadn't looked behind him again, he clamped a hand over his mouth to stop anything from coming out, his eyes widened at the little figure flying in front of him, a faint blue glow surrounding her little body. She wore a blue dress that had resemblance to a blue bell with little shiny ribbons decorating it's sides, a dark blue chiffon fabric, longer than her dress, tailed behind her. Her hair was a dark brown tied into two pigtails but with red ribbons contrasting to her dress, the wings on her back were transparent and had spiraling patterns on them, making it seem as though someone had drawn them there "Hi~" She cooed. Alfred swallowed and looked behind him, his group was already in the distance "Uh..h-hey"

She giggled in a little high pitched tone and flew around his head before stopping just in between his eyes "Are you a mage?" She asked "No, not a mage but are you….?" She nodded enthusiastically and flew back so he wouldn't cross his eyes just to look at her "A fairy! Yes! I saw you come through the arch trees and I thought I could go observe you in your quest" She explained in a manner where you could actually detect some pride "But you do know that you're going near the dragon's keep right? It's dangerous there!" Alfred didn't know how to respond. He's never talked to a fairy before, especially up close, he usually only sees them flounce around in the forest then quickly disappear as they came "Yeah but we need to get to Avia, do you know what's happening there?"

She shook her head "No, I don't think there's anything interesting there, and the humans there barely sing and dance as much as your village does…" She crossed her arms and pouted "They're no fun…" Alfred smiled at her and chuckled lightly, all those stories of faeries being troublemaking and scary must have been a lie, and now he's sure of it "Well how about you come along with us? You know how this forest works right? You'd be helping us a lot" The fairy's eyes widened, she hesitantly flew back a little, fear crossing her features "I-I can't, the dragon…he's very aggressive, and I don't like him" She spat out with much distaste "I can't stand being around him, I'm sorry but I can't go with you. I would've wanted to help you if you weren't going to cross the keep"

Alfred frowned and looked behind him again, the others were already gone, he sighed and looked back at the fairy "I see, it's okay. I guess it was a long shot from the start huh?" The fairy faltered, seeing Alfred's crestfallen expression. She looked down and let her arms fall to her sides, she rubbed her arm and bit her lip, taking in breath through gritted teeth "….I can help you if you need me, but I'll stay in the distance. Though, I don't know how much help I can actually give agains…_him_" Alfred's spirits lifted, he smiled at the fairy "Really?! Thanks! Oh by the way I'm Alfred, Alfred F. Jones, local hero! Who're you?" The fairy actually looked surprise, as if she wasn't expecting him to ask for her name "M-Michelle…erm, local fairy I guess" Alfred grinned and motioned for him to walk- sorry fly next to him "Nice to meet ya Michelle! Wait till the guys see you!" Michelle stopped flying and waved her hands around frantically "No! no! if it's okay with you I'd rather stay hidden" Alfred cocked an eyebrow at her then shrugged, he'll respect what she wants "Sure I guess, but don't go too far kay?" She nodded with a smile and darted back into the woods, Alfred watched her leave before running to catch up with the others.

Surprisingly, they weren't actually that far from where he was. When he came close he caught them talking about something before they turned to look at him "Al? where'd you go?" Alfred waved him off and joined their little circle "Something came up, so what's your story? Why aren't you guys moving?" Yao jabbed a thumb behind him "I heard the dragon and we're almost near the keep, Matthew was just about to summon his familiar" In response, Matthew lifted up a small piece of paper. He chanted something Alfred couldn't understand then cut a part of his arm with a dagger, letting his blood drip into the paper.

It glowed white and started to form into something else. Before they knew it, a polar bear stood in the place of the paper. Matthew crouched down to it's level and smiled "Hey Kumakichi" The bear tilted it's head to the side and stared at it's summoner "Who are you?" Matthew shook his head and picked it up, hugging it close to his chest "It's me your summoner Kumarochi, Matthew Williams? The guy who feeds you?" The bear simply shrugged "The one who took care of you when you were injured?" Matthew pressed "No, I don't know you" It looked around until it's eyes landed on Alfred "Oh it's you! The guy with the freaky hair thing"

"Uh yeah, hello Kuma" Alfred greeted awkwardly. He never understood the familiar and he knows he never will, the first time he met with it, he thought it was going to rip his face apart and no he tried his best to stay away from it. Kuma wiggled his nose and sniffed the air, he growled "It stinks here, smells like dragon" They all tensed and turned to the way leading to the keep, Gilbert was the first to speak up "So are we really gonna push through with this?" He asked, uneasiness settling in his stomach. He wouldn't usually feel something like this, but even he's smart enough to know that you shouldn't mess with dragons.

Alfred too started to feel a slight fear inside him, he looked around until he caught a glance of Michelle hiding in the trees, it was obvious because of her blue glow. His fear started to wash away slowly, with their power, Kumajiro's and Michelle's they might actually be able to get through the keep, minimally unscathed "We have to, Lukas and the others need us in Avia" Matthew whispered something to Kuma, the bear nodded and closed it's eyes. The others felt a tingly sensation wash over them, but they didn't actually feel or look any different.

"There, we're invisible now" Gilbert raised his hand, Matthew rolled his eyes and motioned for him to say what he wants "Okay so if we're invisible, why the hell can we still see each other?"

"That's because I specifically asked Kuma to make us visible to only each other, anyone or anything else won't be able to see us. Now come on, we're burning daylight" The sun was already up in the sky and showered the forest in light, there would be rays of sunlight peeking from small spots in the forest, giving it a sort of mythical glow. Matthew stepped aside to let the others pass, Gilbert went first then Alfred then Yao. The castle started to come into view, it was in a relatively good state.

There were a few holes here and there but it held together quite nicely. It used to be the main castle but the war from long ago brought it down to ruins, but there was a rumor of the treasures of the old royal family still being in there, and now that a dragon occupied it everyone was sure there was at least some form of treasure still in there. They walked without trouble so far, but something didn't sit right with Matthew "Kumagochi, do you sense a dragon in there?" He whispered to his familiar. Kuma lifted his nose up bit and sniffed the surroundings then quickly scrunched up his face "It's scent is really strong….it's not inside" Kuma said in the sort of little girl voice it had.

"Aiyah! It's not inside?!" Yao quickly got into the middle of the group, trying to suppress his growing fear "Shh! You'll get us caught moron!" Gilbert said, shooting a glare at Yao. The news wasn't settling well with him _'This is bad' _Alfred's ears perked up at the sound of Michelle's voice, his eyes darted through the trees but he couldn't find her _'I'm speaking with you through your mind Alfred, I'm too far for you to see so stop looking!' _She scolded, but to Alfred it sounded as though she was afraid of something _'That familiar is right, I sensed _him _as well and he isn't inside, you have to get out of there! And fast!' _"How am I supposed to?!" He answered back out loud, gaining startled glances from his companion.

"Uh, you okay there Al?" Gilbert asked, inching away from him "The pressure's probably getting to him" Yao said, crossing his arms to stop his visible shaking "And I don't blame him aru, this was a bad idea" Matthew shushed them "But we can't go back now! We're almost at the end of the keep!" He wasn't about to just high tail out of there, Matthew was determined to make it to Avia on time no matter what. Alfred shared his brother's feelings, after all they've done they wouldn't just let some new machines stop their quest to take down the royal family, they're in too deep to pull out now.

"Matthew's right guys, we can't just run away like cowards now! Heroes don't do that! So I say we go on and-"

"Go on and what? Exactly?" They jumped at the sound of a new voice, they swirled around and instantly went into defensive stances. Kuma bared his teeth and growled, clawing at the newcomer, Matthew had to hold on to him as tight as he could so the bear wouldn't jump out of his arms "YOU!" Gilbert pointed an accusing finger at the person in front of them, he glared at him but it didn't seem to take much effect on the other guy "YOU scared my Gilbird away! You fucking prick!" Yao and Alfred held him back when he tried to lung at the guy "Hey dude calm down!"

"I AM NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN! THAT JACKASS IS THE MAGE THAT ATTACKED US!" Alfred's eyes widened, the mage that took all of them out? He looked back up at the alleged mage and took in his appearance. He had blond hair like he did but it had a lighter shade, his eyes were a piercingly bright lime green, and what struck him the most were those monstrous eyebrows, those things were huge! He wore a cloak like most mages do but instead of the usual black with gold edges that the palace usually provides, he wore a dark forest green one that had no sign of the palace insignia on it, that part made him question his companion's knowledge of him being a palace mage "Oh, it's you lot, I thought I told you to scram already" The mage yawned, angering Gilbert all the more "DON'T TALK DOWN ON US BASTARD!"

"Hey! Gilbert we are not here to start a fight! Remember our original goal!" Matthew scolded him. The mage laughed "'Not here to start a fight'? from what I know you're going to Avia to start one" Yao gripped on Gilbert's arm, trying to get him to at least turn his attention away from the mage "We won't go anywhere with this aru! Don't do anything rash!" Gilbert stopped thrashing, the group relaxed for a little while. Then Gilbert grinned "Oh I won't do anything rash…" He instantly shook off both Yao and Alfred, sending them staggering to different directions "I'M DOING THIS!"

Gilbert darted forward, fist pulled back to hit the mage "GILBERT DON'T!  
Matthew shouted out, running after him. The mage calmly stood still, humming a song while rocking back and forth on his heels "EAT THIS BASTARD!" Gilbert threw his punch. Alfred expected the mage to have been sent flying but instead he just stood there with his hand raised, Gilbert's fist merely inches from his face "Are you done trying to make the world deaf?" Gilbert struggled to move but found that he couldn't. His adrenaline washed away as his mind finally caught up to how dangerously close he was to the mage. Said person simply flicked his wrist and he was instantly sent flying.

Gilbert smacked into a tree with a sickening _thud. _He gasped out in pain as the wind got knocked out of him while the impact sent out painful vibrations all over his body. He coughed out a few times while he slid down the tree with a groan, he didn't expect the collision to be that hard, then he fell into unconsciousness, the tree suddenly snapping into two behind him "GILBERT!" Matthew's eyes were wide and frantic, the one thing he hated the most was see a friend get hurt, he turned to glare at the mage who was a mere three meters away from him "You'll pay for-!" A hand gripped on his shoulder, he glanced at whoever it was. Yao gave him a stern look and shook his head "No Matthew, we won't do this again remember?" They sneaked a glance at the mage in front of them, watching them intently "We'll just have to find a way around him" He whispered.

Matthew was about to agree when something sped past him, he knew exactly who it was. The same fear welled up inside of him as he watched his brother, sword blazing, running towards the mage "ALFRED!" Yao held him back, they can't get in the middle of that or they'll all end up injured or worse "Matthew please don't! we need to get to Gilbert first! And we don't know when the dragon will decide to show it's face so we need to hurry!" He pulled the distraught boy over the unconscious one leaning on a broken tree, this was the perfect distraction and all they needed to do was cross the keep. He had full faith in Alfred and he was sure that the boy will survive this.

"You carry him on the right and I'll take the left aru!" Matthew got out of his stupor and nodded. He picked up Gilbert by his side and Yao did the same, they jumped into the forest to try and get around the two fighting men. Without even a glance at his fleeing friends, Alfred launched himself at the mage bringing his blade down in a long curving arc "You don't hurt a hero's friends!" The mage jumped away before the blade hit him, he smirked and landed safely on the ground "Hero? Hah! What a joke! You aren't a hero you bloody git, all I see is a little boy with a toy"

Alfred growled, baring his teeth "I am NOT a little boy!" He swung his sword again, feeling a little annoyed at the mage's comment. He knew his swing was sloppy the moment he launched it but it was too late before he was able to figure it out, the mage side stepped and ducked under him, he made symbols with his hands, too fast for Alfred to see what they were, and chanted something as well. He swung his hand forward but it didn't his Alfred, yet he was sent back by a wave of some sort. He stood his ground and tried to level himself with his sword. He skidded across the soil, forming small drag tracks as he did, but he never fell over and stood up straight "See? I don't even need to use much of my powers to defeat you, so I'll be merciful if you just leave"

"LIKE HELL!" He ran towards the mage again, prepared to do a backswing, once he was in range he delivered his attacks. _Swish Swish Swish. _They barely landed a blow on the mage, it frustrated Alfred to no end "You swing like child! No strategy whatsoever! It's a wonder how your petty group even defeated all those troops with you around!" The mage's side comments were no help either, they just made his blood boil even further, he's really starting to dislike this guy. He wasn't sure for how long they actually battled, he was getting a little tired but not so much because of a whole year of training and fighting, his body was in pretty good shape, he won't have problems for now. He watched the mage's movements, noting what he did or when he'd do it, they swirled around each other in a deadly dance, although the mage was probably just messing with him _'This guy's hard to beat, but a hero always finds a way...okay so somehow he knows what I'll do next, what will-" _An idea popped into Alfred's head, he cracked a smile and held his sword with one hand, he thrust his blade towards the mage.

As expected he went to dodge it but this time Alfred fell short and pulled back his sword, surprising the mage, he did a sweep kick and managed to knock the guy into the ground "HAH! Score for the hero!" The mage groaned and rubbed his sore behind, standing up again to meet Alfred's gaze "Impressive that an idiot like you can think of that, but still not hero worthy" He jeered. Alfred glared at him, tired of his remarks "Oh yeah? Then what about you? You're a coward for hiding behind your magic!" A flash of anger-or was it shock?- crossed the mage's face. He glared at Alfred, who started having second thoughts about what he said.

"What did you say? A coward am I?" he walked towards the swordsman, dark wisps of shadows emerged from the ground where he stepped, licking at his feet. Alfred swallowed but stood his ground, sword ready. The mage stretched his hand out and a sword started rising from the shadows beneath him, he gripped on to it's handle and raised it up, pointing it at Alfred "I'm as capable as you are when it comes to sword fights _boy_" He growled out the last part.

Alfred's grip on his sword tightened, almost enough to draw blood but it didn't "We'll see then!" Their swords crossed, sparkling under the sun's light, the loud _clang _echoed as they started to push at each other with their swords, both of the weapons shaking at the forced movements, they spun away from each other but quickly regained and attacked once again. They were almost equal, Alfred's strength and power were counterbalanced by the mage's speed and agility, if anyone else had been watching they could have deemed this to become a stalemate. Alfred launched a backswing when he pushed the mage off, he expected to cut air again but this time, the sword was actually able to touch flesh.

"Gah!" The mage covered the cut on his face with his hand, he drew it back and looked down at the blood on it, he balled his hand into a fist and glared at Alfred "Alright then, you want it that way" He ran towards him at a terrifying speed. Alfred thought quickly and parried the attack, he swung his sword and managed to get the mage away from him by a few feet. _Crack_. Alfred's eyes widened at a crack on the bottom of his blade, his worst fears were realized when it suddenly shattered "Looks like you're at a disadvantage" The mage lunged towards him, blade lifted and ready for another attack.

'_SHIT' _Alfred crouched and ducked under the blade that was supposed to thrust into his chest, he shot up and headbutted the mage, he had his eyes closed but he knew it worked when he hit something and there was a muffled yelp that came along with it. He opened his eyes and smiled triumphantly when he saw the mage rubbing his chin "People did say I was really hard headed" He laughed. He didn't even blink and the mage was suddenly in front of him, scowling. He kicked, the heel of his boot colliding with the swordsman's knee, making a dull cracking sound.

Alfred yelled, his leg gave out from under him, he fell unceremoniously to the ground and on his back. He held his leg and winced at the pain. There was a ringing sound from above him, followed bit a bit of wind being pushed to his face, he stared directly at the tip of a sword "I win" The mage said, he pushed the swordsman's glasses up with the tip of his sword, causing Alfred to close his eyes and swallow "Now, how about we-Oof!" He was interrupted when a flash of light hit him in the face, making him let go of his sword

Alfred sat up straight and watched as a little ball of blue light started to fly around the mage's face "G-Get of me you little twat!" The mage yelled out when the ball hit him in the stomach "THAT'S FOR MY FISH!" Alfred recognized the voice and immediately smiled "MICHELLE!" The fairy winked at him before going back to torment the mage. She whizzed around him, pulled at his hair and landed a few hits, but it stopped short when the mage caught her in between his hands "Why you little-GAH!" He fell face first into the ground, a bear clawing at his back "ALFRED!" Matthew came running back from the other side of the keep, he helped his brother up "Are you okay? W-wait a minute…where's Yao and Gilbert?!"

"They're fine Al, but we need to go!"

"AAAH!" Kuma shrieked, gaining the two brother's attention. The bear lay bleeding on the ground, a gash on his stomach. The mage panted as he stood up, multiple scratch marks were visible on his skin "You bloody gits!" He glared at the brothers then at the bear, he was about to say something else until a shattering noise broke the silence, the mage's eyes were wide and he stood frozen. His eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Gilbert held a broken bottle of beer in his hands, panting from running back to the middle of the keep "That's…for….my…Gilbird!" He kicked the mage's unconscious body a few times until Alfred stopped him "Whoa Whoa! Easy there! He might be useful" Meanwhile Matthew was fussing over Kuma, ripping off a piece of his shirt to try and bandage the wound "K-Kuma, will you be okay?" His voice trembled.

"Silly Mattie, I'm a familiar…." Kuma said before disappearing, leaving a torn paper in his place. Matthew took in a shaking breath, picking up the piece of paper. He knew Kuma could heal himself in his home dimension but seeing his familiar in such a state scared him, he pocketed the paper and joined the two around the unconscious mage, they were having an argument "I say we keep him!"

"No way! Leave him out here for dead!" Gilbert argued back, they held their glares. Matthew took out some rope from his backpack and started to tie up the mage "Hey Matt! What do you think you're doing?!" Gilbert demanded "You know, Al's right Gilbert, this guy might have some valuable information about the army and the events at the palace, so we'll keep him as a prisoner for now- Al can you help me please?" Said person stared stupidly for a while until his mind registered what his brother just said "O-Oh yeah! Sure thing bro!" He lifted the mage up and slung him over his shoulder.

"Guh! I'm telling you guys, this is a bad idea!" Gilbert persisted, watching them go with the mage "Come on Gilbert, Avia won't save itself" Matthew practically ignored his warning. Gilbert frowned and groaned in disapproval, this will not end well. He ran after them but kept a close eye on the mage. Matthew on the other hand went over his thoughts, particularly why the dragon never even bothered to come out to see the commotion and how did the mage see through the invisibility spell. He looked back at the castle and shuddered when he heard it's growl.

* * *

By the end of the afternoon they reached the first village they'll come across on their journey to Avia. The second one would be the last stop until they reach their destination by the end of the third day. This village was a lot grander than theirs, so to speak. The houses had brighter colors of yellow, blue and purple, decorated by whimsical swirls and flowers. There were colorful ribbons tied between the houses and buildings, if you didn't know this place you would have thought they were holding some sort of festival with all of the performers and sellers out in the square.

Matthew turned to the group with him "Okay, we'll be staying here for today then travel again when dawn breaks. I'll look for an inn to stay in…" He handed Yao a small pouch of coins "..While you get horses so we'll be able to travel faster, I saw someone selling a few of them at the stables" Alfred and Gilbert saluted him with cheeky grins "Sir yes sir!" Matthew's shoulders slumped and he shook his head at them in disapproval, he turned heel and entered the village in search of an inn, leaving the three alone.

"Okay, I'll go get the horses aru, Gilbert you go with me-" A whine "-Because I cannot trust you alone with Alfred. And Alfred…" Yao glanced at the unconscious mage still slung over the swordsman's shoulder "I think you should go with Matthew, we don't know what to do with that man yet" Alfred looked at the mage on his shoulder, he smiled at Yao "Okie dokie! See ya!" He ran after his brother while Yao dragged Gilbert to the stables with him.

"Hey bro wait up!" Matthew stopped and looked behind him, Alfred ran to his side panting "Why are you here? Weren't you going to get the horses with Yao?"

"Well y'know, can't really with a guy on my shoulder, I mean seriously dude…" He shrugged the shoulder the mage was on , causing him to jump a bit then fall back down with a groan "We seriously need to do something about this guy, I mean isn't it a little weird seeing this?" Some people shot them curious or disgusted glances, Matthew's cheeks burned with embarrassment and covered the side of his face with a hand "Fine, let's just go and find an inn already" He briskly walked ahead of Alfred, to avoid people associating him with his brother, he did love his brother dearly but not when he had a tied up and unconscious mage on his shoulder. Alfred walked ten paces behind him, happily humming a tune, he didn't mind what people thought of him as of the moment, for now he was in his own world.

They didn't have to search too long for an inn, they found one after three minutes of walking around and asking for directions from people actually willing to tell them anything given the circumstances. They entered the building, one that looked old and about ready to collapse, but they surprised to see how good it was inside compared to the outside. Inside it was colored a light peach with brown fascia boards. There was a chandelier hanging on the ceiling, small fake crystals hung on it's chains as a yellow light came from it's multiple candles. There were French styled windows that had red curtains tied to it's side to let some sunlight in. There were some couches and a table in the side of the room, where some folks sat to have tea and conversations.

Matthew approached the counter where a man was handing out keys to various guests, he spotted them and smiled "Welcome to our inn, fine travelers! How may I be of service?" He didn't spare a second glance at the mage on Alfred's shoulder, which the latter was thankful for "A room for five, overnight" Matthew simply stated, handing the man five gold coins and two silver ones. The man nodded and took a key from under the counter, he gave it to Matthew with the same smile on his face. Alfred thought it was rather creepy "Enjoy your stay valued clients!" He said as they ascended up the stairs.

"Dude that guy was freaky" Alfred commented once they were out of earshot, Matthew simply nodded in agreement "Yeah" He mumbled. They entered a hallway that had a flower pattern carpet, the walls were painted a light orange and various paintings from unknown artists adorned the walls. They were paintings of mythical creatures and landmarks from all around their country, one of them had goblins and witches in them making Alfred shudder at the sight.

"Here we are" They stopped in front of a room with two brown wooden doors marked 243 on a plaque. Matthew inserted the key and opened the doors, revealing an oval room with five beds far from each other and pushed up the wall. Alfred laid the mage on the fifth bed and threw the bag he carried somewhere near one of the beds which he now claimed his. Matthew removed his backpack and placed it in a corner, he sighed and sat on a bed, running a hand through his hair. He looked down on himself, noting how sweaty and dirty his clothes felt, he grimaced and stood up "I'll go and take a bath, will you be alright with watching our prisoner?" He jerked his head towards the mage on the bed. Alfred nodded "Yeah sure bro, just hurry back" Matthew bit the inside of his cheek then hesitantly left, closing the door.

Alfred cracked his neck looked down on his bandaged knee, he felt sore all over and he just didn't want to move, who would've thought huh? He laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, if this was only from a battle with a lone wizard, what are the odds of him leaving the battlefield unharmed from an onslaught of soldiers and magic users. He shook his thoughts away and lolled his head to the side to look at the mage on the bed. He still felt a little bit of dislike for the guy, but something about him was interesting that Alfred just couldn't keep his eyes off the mage, how he moved and executed magic seemed so different from the mages he battled with before.

'_Great, I sound like some sort of creep now' _He looked away from the mage and back at the ceiling, only to look back at the mage when he heard him groan. Alfred slowly sat up, careful of his knee, as the mage's bright green eyes fluttered open, he winced and moved his head around "Agh, what hit me?" Then those eyes widened in fear and realization when he felt his arms and legs bound together. He bucked and wiggled around like some sort of captive animal, even to the extent of growling "What the-?! Bloody hell NO!...wait! I could just use my magic and-" Then a small explosion interrupted him mid sentence.

Alfred had flinched but he didn't move from his spot. The smoke started to clear, the mage coughed a few times as it did, his hair was pushed back into spikes and became a lot messier than they were before and his face plus part of his clothing blackened from the explosion. It looked comical. Alfred couldn't help but laugh. The mage finally noticed someone else in the room with him and turned to scowl at the person "_**You**_" He gritted out "I demand you let me go! You have no right to do this to me!" Alfred stopped laughing and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Uh yes I do, the royals you work for are tyrants. That already says a lot dude" The mage rolled his eyes "Don't 'dude' me! I am a high ranking mage! You should be respecting me bloody git!" Alfred stood up from his bed and sat on the edge of the bed the mage was on "What's up with the 'bloody git' thing? That's kinda weird but I like your accent bro!" The mage kicked at him but it was weak due to his restraints "Just you wait! Once the army hears about my disappearance they'll drag your sorry arse to the nearest execution site!" He threatened. Alfred wasn't affected at all, instead he smiled, which startled the mage "Cool story bro, so wanna do introductions?" He cleared his throat and pushed his glasses back up "I'm Alfred F. Jones, local hero and total heartthrob~ booyah! So who're you dude? Because I can't just keep calling you 'dude' or 'bro' or 'broski' or 'compadre' or-"

"Shut up you insufferable twit! You're lowering my IQ just by talking! And don't you dare call me by those names!" The mage huffed and turned away from him, there was an awkward silence between the two that followed next. Alfred was about to break the silence through one of his jokes until the mage spoke up again "..y….A..hr…" He muttered. Alfred raised both his eyebrows and leaned in closer "I'm sorry what bro?" The mage quickly turned his head and glared at the swordsman "Are you deaf now too? Tch, I said; My name is Arthur you daft swordsman!" Then it dawned on him how close their faces were, his face burned with embarrassment and he quickly looked away "Just you wait, you and your little 'resistance' will pay, the army will beat you, they'll come for me!"

"Sure whatever you say dude, hey I'm gonna go get something to eat, you want anything?" Arthur stayed silent. Alfred sighed and stood up, limping to the door "And don't try to escape, I'll lock the door" The mage lifted his head up and sighed "As if I'll be able to do that, these ropes are enchanted" The swordsman shrugged and left the room, locking the door just as he said he would.

Arthur smirked, even though the ropes were able to suppress his magic, it couldn't suppress small spells. A little paper doll flew out of his cloak, it floated in front of him, awaiting orders "I need you to tell Ludwig that I found the resistance group, and they…er have me captured" The doll floated lazily before flying towards an open window. Arthur scoffed at the stupidity of the swordsman. First rule of having a mage as your hostage is to never leave them alone.

_**Ever.**_


	3. Chapter 3: Marauders

Yao had been searching for the supposed stables that Matthew had mentioned earlier for about an hour now. His feet were aching and his head was spinning from seeing the same building and colors over and over again, looking at the colors even started to hurt his eyes once he realized how bright they are despite the sun setting in the horizon. At least the village started to calm down and wasn't as rowdy as it was the afternoon before, the music also started to go in a slow pace down in town square and the people were just calmly dancing with their partners. Some folks went up to lampposts and lit up, or replace, the candles within them, lighting up the darkening paths with a warm glow.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaoooooo" Gilbert groaned out for the umpteenth time that day, after the first five Yao started to completely ignore him, but a man can only take so much "Yaaaaaaaaaaaooooo….Yaaaaaaaaaoooo!...YAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAOOO-" The stopped abruptly and turned heel to glare at his companion "Gilbert, I don't know why you are tormenting me aru, but I don't need you adding to my list of labors on this mission! I'm tried too but you don't see me complaining. Be a man!" Gilbert stared at him blankly, Yao smiled in triumph and was about to turn around again until his companion slouched and took in a deep lazy breath "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooo-"

"AIYAH! SHUT UP GILBERT!" He shouted. The people nearby paused and looked at the two of them in puzzlement. Yao bit his lip and quickly turned around again, dragging Gilbert with him "Look what you got us into aru!" Gilbert smirked and finally started walking normally again after the passed the crowd "I was boooored! I thought the mission would be a lot more fun than getting stupid horses from a stall…" They passed through the town square again, looking around for any sign of the horse stables, unfortunately just like their last attempts they ended up with a whole load of nothing "Matthew should have given us better directions aru…" Yao hoped that they at least found an inn for them to stay in, he was still carrying his bags full of medicine, food and clothes.

Gilbert on the other hand didn't seem to have any trouble walking around with his bag full of….whatever Gilbert brings to their missions- and he will always refuse to touch it!- But considering how much combat he was into, it wouldn't actually be as surprising if he had a whole lot of energy. He even had enough to raise his brother all by himself "Admit it Yao, we need to ask someone for directions" Gilbert leaned against a nearby wall, crossing his arms. A smug smile on his pale face. Yao pouted and looked up at the sky, at this rate they'll never find the stalls, Matthew would get disappointed. He sighed in defeat "Fine…."

Gilbert smirked and got off the wall, walking beside Yao again as they looked around for anyone to ask directions from "Excuse me, but could you-" The man Yao was talking to just ignored him and walked on, Yao tried again and approached a guy who was out for an evening walk with a lady friend "Uhm, hello could you direct me to-" The man grinned at him and patted him on the shoulder "Yeah hi buddy! Listen we're on a rush so can't talk kay? But be sure to visit my club down in May street!" He chuckled before scampering off with his girl. But that didn't discourage the doctor, he wouldn't let Gilbert rub it in his face about being unable to ask for directions.

This time he went for someone who wasn't running around, doing whatever, he approached a bakery nearby, one where the baker was just rolling some dough near the counter "Excuse me" He said in a soft voice, the baker looked up and smiled "Oh hi, what can I do you for?" He set his dough aside and actually looked at Yao, the doctor was thankful for it "Yes well, a friend and I are looking for horse stables and we'd like to buy a few, do you know of any stables like that?" The baker simply stared, a dreamy look on his face, Yao backed away, feeling something weird is going on with him "Uh, are you okay?"

"Oh certainly~ now that a lovely lady such as yourself has come to visit my humble little shop" Everything went blank for Yao at that moment in time.

* * *

Gilbert laughed behind Yao, earning a disapproving look in return, but instead of stopping, he merely dropped to the ground and held his stomach as he laughed out loud "Okay then, how about you try asking for directions aru?" Yao gritted out, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground. Gilbert sighed and stood back up, pulling his companion in a one armed hug "Oh Yao, Yao, Yao…you just haven't mastered the art of manly awesomeness like me yet, it takes years of dedication to reach _this_" He gestured at his whole self. Yao grimaced, practically feeling the other's cocky energy radiate from his body "By 'reaching _this'_ if you mean a self-centered, violent and rash idiot then I think I'll pass aru"

Gilbert shook his index finger from side to side, making little tsking sounds like how children would pretend to tell off their toys for being bad "Don't be like that Yao, I'm offering you my awesome knowledge that I only usually reserve for my brother and closest friends. Besides that I already asked about ten people while you were wasting daylight by the way, and we already passed the stables" Yao blinked, registering Gilbert's words in his mind. He gaped at him then pushed him off harshly "YOU COULDN'T TELL ME THAT EARLIER?!" Gilbert grinned like a Cheshire cat and turned around again to actually follow the path leading to the stables "I just wanted to see how long you'll last without asking anyone for directions~" Yao glared the retreating albino's back. One day he's sure that the resistance will be one man short.

They rounded a corner which they hadn't gone through the first time because they thought it led to a dead end, but instead it actually split up into two other roads at the end. Gilbert gave Yao a triumphant look while the doctor scowled at the floor "This doesn't prove anything you know.." Yao mumbled, kicking a pebble away "Nooo, it proves just how awesome I am! Come on, I can hear the horses already!" He went right and Yao went left. They stopped and looked at each other questionably "Uh, Yao the stables are this way" Gilbert pointed at the path he was on, Yao on the other hand shook his head "No, the way to the stables are over here aru, you're wrong"

"Yeah?, and whooo asked for directions again? Oh that's right, ME!" Gilbert jabbed a finger onto his chest and glared at Yao "Yes but, do you know how to read signs?" There was a pole on the path the doctor took, a small wooden arrow was nailed to it's side, the words 'Horse stables' painted onto it in red. Gilbert flustered, he shook his head and lifted his nose high then crossed his arms, marching towards Yao and passing him to walk in front "I knew that! The awesome me was just testing you!" He said. Yao sighed and walked behind him, it would take a miracle if they actually made it to the stables with Gilbert as his companion.

They had a bit of difficulty, concerning that Yao had to drag Gilbert around by the collar of his shirt now to keep him from getting lost, it wasn't long before they reached the stables and finally get the damn horses that Yao is starting to dislike. Were those things worth the trouble of being with Gilbert? He wouldn't know "Finally!" Yao let go of a whining Gilbert, who promptly fell to the ground on his ass. They were in front of a small patch of land with multiple stables surrounding it, there were people who rode some horses in a nearby field and some who were looking through the stables.

The stables had different colors, some would be a dark brown, yellow, pink or blue, little triangular banners of different colors hung between some stables for decoration. Yao grimaced _'Why does everything have to be so bright aru?' _Diversity is something he appreciated, but sometimes simple things are enjoyable as well, and after all he's been through, simple is like a rare taste of heaven for him. Gilbert finally stood back up and joined him, he looked around once until the same bored expression from earlier crossed his features "So unawesome!" Yao huffed, he would not stand for Gilbert's whining again "We just need to get horses aru, you should have known nothing much will happen. If you feel that you'll get bored while I'm picking out horses aru, then just go and play somewhere else"

"Don't you use your little reverse psychology trick on me! I'm not gonna fall for it!... But maybe you _don't _want me to fall for it and you just want to see me goof off so you'll have something to blame me for later! You sneaky bastard! The awesome me will not be fooled! I won't go with you but I will because I'm too smart for your little Chinese mind games! HAH! BEAT THAT YAO!" He waved his index finger up and down in front of Yao's face in triumph. Yao stared at him boredly, he could feel a headache starting to climb into his mind, since when did he become a babysitter? "Okay Gilbert, but the moment a complaint escapes your lips or if you scamper off, you'll have to give up being 'awesome' for a day" A horrified gasp left the Prussian's mouth "You monster! You'll be depriving the world of the awesomeness I give it everyday!"

"I think the world can take it's chances, let's just go and pick out suitable horses already" Gilbert pouted and begrudgingly followed Yao into the ranch. The doctor knew he had to look around for the owner first, they couldn't risk just dilly dallying around now that the sky was starting to darken, at least they made it in time and the ranch isn't closed yet. He spotted a man talking to a couple near a bunch of blue stables, the couple handed him some money and took a horse by the bridle and started to lead it out of the ranch, the man waved at them and happily placed the money in a small pouch, he turned to the stables and began to pet one of the horses with a smile "That's the owner" Yao mumbled to himself while Gilbert was pressing his mouth into a thin line to stop his complaints.

They walked towards the man and it didn't take long for the guy to notice them coming towards him, for a ranch owner he actually looked pretty neat, unlike the workers Yao saw running around, he had slicked back brown hair and wore a clothing similar to a polo, he had black-almost- baggy pants and a pair of dress shoes. If he was what Yao thought he was, then he probably dresses like that just because he doesn't work much "Hello there! Are you here to buy horses?" He asked in a cheery voice. Yao nodded numbly and looked over the stables "What are your finest horses? Particularly, the very fast ones" The man placed a hand on his chin, looking up in thought, he snapped his fingers and led them through the stables "We had newer horses brought in just two days ago, they're very healthy and somewhat young so I'm sure they have enough energy for a long ride! And if you're interested, we could provide you with saddles and other things you may need for the horses"

"I see, but I think it would be best to check on them first, after all I…." The conversation faded out in Gilbert's painfully bored mind. He rolled his eyes and bit down hard on his tongue to keep anything from coming out, his arms hung loosely at his sides, he slumped backward and practically had to drag his upper half around _'This is so __**BORING!**__ UGH! STOP TALKING ALREADY AND PICK A DAMN HORSE! They all look fucking the same to me!' _He red eyes scanned the ranch in an upside down view, there wasn't anything that caught his interest. He grimaced, if he stayed like this he'll probably go crazy, he could feel his awesome energy aching to be let out and shared with the world, he whined inwardly.

"WHOA! KEEP HIM STEADY!" Gilbert's ears perked up to the frantic screaming somewhere in the ranch. He straightened himself and looked around again, someone started shouting curses then a scream came next "WAAAAAAAH!" He inwardly flinched when a man came flying out of a gathered crowd and into the air, the man landed chest first into the soil, he groaned and was later helped up by fellow workers _'Now this I gotta see' _He sneaked a peek at Yao and the man, they were still talking about horses, Yao was completely engrossed in the conversation that he didn't even realize the Gilbert wasn't there anymore.

The Prussian on the other hand was worming his way through a crowd gathered around a small corral, if the flying man sparked his interest, he was sure that whatever this was will finally chase his boredom away. He reached the front of the crowd and looked to where they were staring "By the mother of all things awesome….." He gaped. There was a black stallion in the middle of the corral, multiple workers were surrounding it, each of them holding rope "We gotta restrain this thing already!" One of them shouted out, barely dodging the horse's kick "Oh do you think we haven't tried that yet?!" Another spat back in distaste, before the man knew it, the horse ran straight for him, he yelled as he came in contact with the beast and got rammed into one of the wooden posts in the corral.

'_Awesome…' _Gilbert's eyes sparkled with excitement, how awesome would it be if he could tame that horse. He cracked a smile and went over the corral, the people gasped as he calmly walked towards the distraught workers, one of them caught him, eyes wide and frantic "SIR! PLEASE STEP BACK! THIS ANIMAL IS DANGEROUS!" Gilbert pried the man's hands off him coolly, he smiled at him as if he knew the secrets of the universe "Dear boy, what if I told you I could tame this beast?..."

"Are you sure that's all I can take?" Yao pressed on, the man just revealed that he could only afford two of their finest horses, of course back then it would have been okay for the four of them, but they had a prisoner now so squeezing three people into one horse might be a problem "Yes, I'm sorry sir but it's really all you can afford, especially with our most finest" The doctor frowned, he looked down at the little pouch full of silver and gold, he couldn't run back to Matthew to ask for more money now, the ranch would have closed up by then "What do you think Gilbert?" Silence. He groaned and turned to scold his companion "Gilbert I know you're upset aru, but you don't have to give me….the….silent treatment…." He stared at an empty space where Gilbert once stood, the man beside him furrowed his eyebrows in confusion "Erm, do you need some help sir? Are you dizzy?"

Yao paled, who knows what Gilbert would do when he's left alone, that man could start an Armageddon if he actually tried hard enough-or not even try at all!- the doctor looked around frantically for the Prussian. He ran away from the man without a second thought and began his search that may judge the fate of the world, and/or people's sanity "GILBERT?!" He shouted out, moving through crowds and pushing past people, still no sign of the Prussian "GIL-"

"YAHOOOOO!" Yao skidded to a stop, hearing the albino's familiar voice. He looked over to a crowd of people and saw a flash of white hair jumping around. He bit his lip and ran towards the crowd, hoping Gilbert hasn't made a fool of himself. By the time he reached the front of the crowd, his worries built up inside him, he was about ready to give Gilbert an earful if it wasn't for the fact that the man was riding a horse that was trying to shake him off "WOOO! Can't handle the awesomeness horse?!" The stallion bucked in response, it tried ramming Gilbert into the wooden posts but the persistent Prussian kept a tight hold on it's mane and neck.

It started to get tired, never encountering a human such as the man on his back, he gave out one last buck until it practically collapsed after the ten minutes of trying to shake the man off. Gilbert jumped off the horse and raised his hands "This beast…..HAS BEEN TAMED!" He declared as if he were the emperor in the middle of a fight in an arena. The crowd cheered and clapped, the workers clapping as well but in a calm manner. The man who Yao was with finally caught up to him and gaped at Gilbert who was now petting the wild horse they failed to tame for three weeks "By God! Is that your friend?"

"Well, yes" Yao answered simply. The man smiled widely and clapped him on the back "We've been trying to tame that horse for weeks now! And yet your friend has done it in less than minuets! What a spectacular young man" Gilbert was now riding the stallion around the corral, petting it a few time on it's side when they executed a jump over some barrels, the man laughed in amusement and walked Yao back to the stables once the crowd cleared "You said you needed three horses right? Tell you what, you buy those two horses and I can give your friend that stallion for free! How's that sound?"Yao's eyes widened, he did not just hear that did he? He smiled and shook the man's hand "It's a deal aru" He handed the man some coins for the two horses "I'll just get them ready with their saddles and bridles, I'll meet the two of you at the exit" He walked away and back into the stables.

"HEY YAO!" Gilbert came up next to the doctor, still riding the horse "Check it out! I tamed something! Pretty awesome huh?" Then realization dawned on him, he looked down and sighed "I have to give up being awesome for a day now right?" Yao blinked, then he remembered their little talk. He smiled and shook his head "No Gilbert, you actually did pretty good aru. You were…awesome" Gilbert instantly brightened, he bounced excitedly on the stallion's back, much to the animal's dismay "Really?! You thought I was awesome?!" Yao chuckled at his friend's almost childish attitude "Yes, you were awesome, and surprise you get to keep that horse" Gilbert whooped and started to ride the horse in a huge circle around Yao "AWESOME! And you know what awesome name I dub this horse with?...Schmidt!" The doctor raised an eyebrow "'Schmidt'?"

Gilbert frowned "What? You want me to call him Gilhorse? That's totally weird! Besides, Schmidt sounds like Smith but with an awesome twist to it!" The man came back with two horses in tow, he smiled at both of them and handed Yao the reins "A pleasure doing business with you two" The turned to Gilbert "And thanks for the show young man! A little bit of advice, keep doing what you do best!" The man really took a shine to Gilbert, so it seems. The albino winked "Being awesome is my specialty sir!" The man laughed and waved them off. They said their goodbyes and exited the ranch, Gilbert still rode Schmidt all the way and Yao was content, Gilbert's impulsive behavior to 'spread his awesomeness' actually got them somewhere, in fact the doctor couldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

Alfred stood at the back of the inn, munching on a sandwich he got from the dining room, it was much too noisy for him in there, he just has a lot on his mind. He wanted to sort them out in a quiet place, especially since a certain mage occupied his thoughts. Yes he was curious about him, something about the mage just made Alfred push away his awful personality, he couldn't explain why he actually felt that way towards Arthur _'Arthur' _the name replayed in his mind, it just sounded good, he sighed _'God, if only Mattie were here, he'd probably know the answer' _He took another bite off his sandwich and stared at the forest in front of him, a blue ball of light caught his attention. He smiled as it came close

"Michelle! Where did you go?" The fairy giggled and sat on his shoulder, she dusted off her arms and relaxed "Well, when that stupid mage let me go I darted back into the forest. You don't think I'd leave you now that the mage is with you right? I'll be your guardian from now on!" Alfred laughed and stroked Michelle's hair with his pinky, seeing as to how small she is, the fairy didn't protest and simply swung her legs back and forth "Thanks Michelle, I appreciate that" Then the fairy's expression turned serious, she held Alfred's pinky finger and frowned "I'm serious Alfred, that mage is a dangerous man. I've seen what he did, you wouldn't believe it, one day you'd think he trusts you and he's willing to help then the next he betrays you, laughs at your pain then leaves you for dead…" She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply "Just….be careful…" She flew in front of Alfred, with an almost sad expression.

Alfred's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Michelle knew Arthur? He smiled sadly at the fairy, still not able to comprehend what's wrong "I will Chelle, thanks for looking out for me" The fairy blushed at the little nickname Alfred gave her, she really can't leave this boy alone. It's rare to find such a pure and innocent soul like his, and she's determined to protect him "I just don't want to see you get hurt Alfred, you have to promise me, you won't get too attached to that mage okay? Trust me when I say he's not what you think he is" The swordsman swallowed, somehow Michelle's request struck him as something he couldn't do, he didn't know what answer he should give the little fairy, he racked his brain for anything at all that could still be a good answer.

He let out a shaky breath, suddenly feeling cold and hot at the same time "…I'll try" Came his weak response. Michelle grimaced, but Alfred didn't see it, she nodded and flew next to him "I'll accept that answer. So, what exactly is your quest? I haven't really asked you yet" Alfred finished up his sandwich and walked near the forest edge, Michelle flying right beside him "Ah, well we're part of a resistance group, we don't really have a name yet so we're just 'resistance', a branch of our group in Avia reported something about a squadron working with some mages to create some sort of flying machine that has built in firearms and can protect itself from magic" A hint of fear and shock went over Michelle's face "Wow, that sounds kinda scary"

"Isn't it? Anyway, we're on our way to Avia to help them sabotage the squadron's plans, we can't let them have one up against us, we always plan on staying ahead of the kingdom. So far we held one year but that's questionable now" Michelle pouted, why did Alfred suddenly sound so serious? She had pinned him as the type to be happy-go-lucky, and always that way. But somehow, the swordsman managed to conjure up a sort of dreading feeling mixed with seriousness, Michelle hoped it won't last long. Luckily for the fairy, her prayers were answered when Alfred smiled at her and changed the subject.

"How about you? Y'know this is dangerous and you probably have a family somewhere" He started to get used to talking to her naturally, as if she was an old friend instead of some mythical creature that people barely even see. Michelle tensed, the swordsman saw her reaction and waved his hand "Uh, its okay if you don't want to answer that, I'm okay with whatever" The fairy sighed, she fluttered down to sit on his shoulder "It's not you Alfred, it's just that….well I don't know my family, like I just woke up one day and I'm here, no one else. It's kinda hard to explain, think of this, just one day you exist and that's it, no memories, but you know things already. That's how it went for me until other faeries found me, they weren't really family, all they did was raise and take care of me but we never had anything like 'love' or whatever going on like how humans usually have" Alfred frowned, he could never imagine a life like that, to not have his father's protectiveness and knowledge or his mother's kindness and love.

"What's it like?" Michelle asked out of the blue, Alfred hummed, noting that they're almost at the end of the village, it actually surprised him with how far they went and he didn't notice "What's what like?" He asked, not really understanding what she meant "….Having a family" She muttered sadly. Alfred thought for a little while, they stopped behind some building at the edge of the village, he could still hear the sounds of festivity in the square but it was faint, light came from the distance and glowed like a small sun from where they were, providing a little bit of illumination "Well, it's really-by how Gilbert would put it- awesome. Parents would love and care for you, they'd provide what you need and want, and they're really patient with you especially when you're still an annoying little brat or a teenager hopped up on hormones. And your siblings are people who you'd probably tell stuff you wouldn't tell your parents, you'd have fights but you still love each other at the same time, like Mattie and me! Oh! There's also all the cool stuff you'd do with them like camping or hiking a mountain and sometimes a little bit of picnics here and there! Basically, by blood or not, a family is people who love, protect and provide for each other, no questions, they do it just because"

Michelle had a thoughtful look on her face "Like, you and the resistance?" Alfred chuckled and nodded "Yeah! I guess we're some sort of family too! Right Michelle?" The fairy blinked, she shyly flew a few inches away from the swordsman "I-I'm part of it too?" Alfred gave her his brightest smile in return "Of course! If ever, when you want to meet the others, I'm sure they'd be happy to have you!" Michelle smiled, Alfred was such an interesting human, she's never been able to encounter someone like him before, he really is a diamond among stones "Thank you Alfred…that means a lot" They simply stared at each other, enjoying the music in the distance. Then Michelle suddenly shot up and scanned their surroundings, tense and on guard "Michelle?" Alfred sensed her change in emotion, she shushed him and made him crouch down so that the bushes would hide him from sight "A-Alfred" She flew down to his level and hid in the pocket of his shirt.

"W-We need to go! N-now!" Her frantic plea was all the swordsman needed to bolt out of the bushes and run back into town to get the others.

* * *

Matthew rubbed his wet hair with a towel, he dragged his feet through the carpeted floor, though he thought it was a bad idea since he was wearing fuzzy slippers. Just as he expected, when he reached out for the knob static went through his hand, he winced a little bit but went on to open the door anyway. He was surprised to find that his brother was no where to be seen, and the mage wide wake just humming folk songs on the bed he was on. He flinched when bright green eyes turned to look at him "Alfred?" He looked genuinely confused. Matthew sighed "No, Matthew, I'm Alfred's brother. And how did you know his name?" He shot a suspicious look at the mage, making his way towards his bed to get some clothes from his bag. Arthur shrugged "He told me, not like I even wanted to know the git's name"

Matthew hummed and pulled out a white shirt, he removed his robe and faced away from the mage, wrapping it around his waist instead as he pulled his shirt over his head "He does that" Arthur scoffed and shook his head "Then he's an idiot, what if I were an assassin who simply needs his name for me to kill him? The imbecile wouldn't even think twice" Matthew finished dressing up, now he had a white shirt, brown jacket, a sam browne belt to carry a dagger and a small pistol and a pair of black shorts reaching up to his knees, finishing up with combat boots "Look" He turned around after double checking that he had everything "I don't know what your game is, but you better not take advantage of my brother's kind and welcoming nature. Once you do, we'll be on you like a pack of wolves" The mage laughed and rolled his eyes "Oh, I'm quaking in my cloak" His voice dripped with sarcasm, enough to make Matthew scowl at him.

"At any rate we aren't going to let you go any time soon, so you better be on your best behavior" All he was met with was silence. He groaned, this guy's definitely going to be difficult. He was about to tell him off again when the door suddenly busted open, revealing a panting and sweaty Alfred "Al?" "Alfred?" Matthew and Arthur spoke at the same time, they spared each other heated glares and looked away. The swordsman on the other hand was packing up all their things in a rush, he took up his bag and tossed Matthew his. His younger brother finally snapped out of whatever state he was in and looked up to see his bag flying towards him "AUGH!" It hit him in the stomach and he fell down to his knees, Alfred looked up from checking the room and smiled sheepishly "Uh sorry Matt! But we gotta go!" He walked over to Arthur's bed, the mage realized what he was about to do "Oh no you don't! I will not be treated as baggage you-"

His words fell on deaf ears as Alfred slung him over his shoulder like a rag doll, Arthur yelped and started to pound his hands on the swordsman's back in an attempt to make the other man let him go "That won't work you know~" His eyes widened when a little fairy flew in front of him with a smug look, he glared at her once he finally realized who it was "_Michelle"_ He growled. Michelle laughed and kicked him on the nose "Damn straight jerk!" Matthew stared at the little fairy in a shock, his mouth hung open. He pointed at Michelle and turned to Alfred "W-Wha-"

"Michelle, Matt, Matt, Michelle, yes she's a fairy let's go" He pulled Matthew by his arm and pulled his still stupefied brother out of the room. He took the key from the door and descended down the stairs with a stiff Matthew and a protesting Arthur in tow, with Michelle hiding inside his shirt pocket. The man behind the counter was surprised to see them "S-Sir? Was our accommodations not sufficie-" Alfred slammed the room key on the counter and forced a smile "No it was great! We just really need to go right now, thanks for letting us stay!" He ran out of the inn in such a speed that he didn't hear the man yell about his refund. But frankly, he doesn't really care right now "Michelle, how long till they come?" The fairy poked her head out of the swordsman's shirt pocket when she heard his question. She shivered in fear "They're really close now" Alfred cursed under his breath, he still had to look for Gilbert and Yao. He looked over crowds, passed through multiple streets but still no sign of the two.

"Where are they?!" Matthew blinked once, noticing that they weren't in the hotel room anymore. His hand hurt from being pulled at by Alfred and he was sure it was gonna pop out of it's socket soon "A-AL! What the hell?!" He pulled his hand away, Alfred skidded to a halt and faced his brother "Mattie please! We gotta hurry or they'll-" Matthew raised his hand up in front of his brother's face, silencing him effectively "First who the hell is this _they _you're talking about?! Why are you acting all crazy?!" Michelle flew out of Alfred's shirt pocket and flew right in front of Matthew's-startled- face "Alfred's not crazy! I felt them coming! They're close to the village!"

Matthew shook off his shock and blew the fairy off his face, Michelle yelped as she was pushed back into Alfred's hair "Urgh! You didn't answer my question!" Alfred gripped his brother's wrist and stared at him sternly "Marauders" It was the only word he said yet Matthew's eyes widened in fear, he instantly went ahead of his brother, going in the direction of the horse ranch "Come on Al!" Alfred took Michelle out of his hair and said something to the fairy in a whisper, Michelle looked shocked but nodded and flew away, Alfred watched her go then ran after his brother. Arthur had listened through the conversation, and he understood nothing, what kind of group were these 'Marauders' that it would send these two in a frenzy?

A scream tore through the square, Alfred and Matthew didn't spare a single glance to whatever was happening, they already knew. Arthur lifted his head up to see just what was happening, he caught glances of a group clad in grey, with dangerous looking weapons in their hands as people fled from them. They scanned the area, supposedly looking for something. One of them turned his eyes to their direction, he smirked, Arthur felt a chill go through him, something about this group didn't fit well with him, the way their eyes looked so cold and ruthless, how they calmly move despite the commotion they're causing, almost as if they feel they're invisible. The man who saw them called his group back and pointed at them, yelling something before they started advancing "A-ALFRED!" Arthur shouted out of impulse. He stopped and replayed what he just said, why did he call the swordsman's name?

Alfred heard his cry and looked back to see the Marauders running towards them, he scowled and adjusted his grip on Arthur before running beside his brother "Matt they saw us" Matthew nodded but never kept his eyes off the path they ran on or looked behind him. They ran through twisting paths, stairs and sharp corners, still keeping a look out for the other two, and hoping to shake their pursuers off, but to no avail. After running through the whole village, they stopped in front of the horse ranch, now thankfully bare of people but no sign of their two other companions "Goddamnit" Matthew mumbled "They went to the ranch!" Alfred growled when he heard one of the Marauders shout out their location, he removed Arthur from his shoulder and cut the ropes binding him.

Arthur stared at his now free limbs then back at Alfred "What are you-" Alfred shushed him and took his hand, he grabbed Matthew and they dove into the forest "W-Wait! What about Gilbert and Yao?!" Matthew lagged behind him, unable to match his brother's speed, thus getting dragged again instead. Alfred made them crouch down behind a bush not so far from the ranch, he panted and sat down"We'll come back for them! Right now we can't let _them _see us" He pointed at the silhouettes entering the ranch in front of them, they were all holding torches but their features lay masked in the darkness "Check around, they could be hiding anywhere" Someone said, the rest of them split up around the ranch and began looking.

"Who are these people exactly?" Arthur whispered, frustrated that he didn't know what was going on. Alfred pulled him closer and pointed at the group "They call themselves the 'Marauders', you can say our group has history with them. They were the first group to rebel against the kingdom, only problem is they're doing it for the wrong reason…" He trailed off and made them all duck under the bush when one of the silhouettes came close and searched through the forest, after a while he left. Alfred let out the breath he was holding and sat back up "Think of it this way, the 'our exact opposites' kind of deal. We're doing this for the people, they're doing it for themselves. They see us as a threat to their goal so they'll stop at nothing to eliminate us" Matthew continued for his brother in a more silent whisper that you could barely hear. Arthur took in the information, something he can report once he gets away from his captors, he turned his attention back to the group searching through the ranch. One of them started to get impatient, he flipped over a few things before stopping in the middle of the ranch.

"I know you're here Alfred!" He shouted angrily. Arthur glanced at Alfred beside him, the swordsman was gripping onto the hilt of his sword, watching the group closely "Come out come out~ I thought you were a hero? What if we take over this pathetic village? Would you do something about it?" Matthew sent his brother a warning glance "Don't listen to him Alfred, he's bluffing" He held his brother's hand that was on his sword's hilt, Alfred tensed then relaxed "What if he's not Matt?" There was a dangerous edge to his voice that made Matthew retreat his hand "We don't have enough people to fight them Al, with only you and me I think they'd beat us easily" Alfred hesitantly let go of his sword and let his hand fall limply to the ground "I-I know, but if they do something…I don't know what _I'll _do" Arthur was about to tell them something until a hand clamped over his mouth, he thrashed and reached for the two but he was soon dragged into the darkness "ARTHUR!" Alfred shot up from his hiding spot and dove in after the mage "AL-AAH!" Matthew started but was also pulled out of his hiding place by a hand.

The three were tossed into the ranch and into someone's feet. The person cackled "Why hello~" He sang. Alfred blinked his eyes open and glared at the person looming over him "Jason…" He growled out. Jason smiled, his blood red eyes narrowing at Alfred, he picked the other up by his shirt and pulled him close so that their gazes locked "Good to see you too Alfie, and I see you have a new addition to your little party" Alfred's eyes darted to the person behind Jason, holding Arthur captive with the same rope he cut a little while ago, he meant to let Arthur at least defend himself if the Marauders caught up with them. The mage thrashed in the man's arms but couldn't say anything because of a cloth tied over his mouth. Alfred glared at Jason "Don't you dare hurt him" He threatened.

Jason laughed, along with the rest of the Marauders "Since when did I take orders from you Alfred?" One of the Marauders, who held Matthew, tossed Jason a jagged dagger. He pressed the sharp blade near Alfred's throat and grinned "Your group has been the bane of our existence ever since you little shits thought you had what it takes to dethrone the royal family, well guess what children? We were here first" The blade started to cut through Alfred's skin, drawing blood, the swordsman bit down hard on his tongue, he'd never let Jason hear him scream, he'd rather die than have that. He forced up a shaking smile and imitated Jason's gaze "N-News flash Jason, you may be first, but you aren't the best" Jason twitched, he chuckled darkly and shook his head "Alfred, Alfred, Alfred….still the same as always, thinking you're better? Tsk tsk" The swordsman caught a flash of light with his peripheral vision, his fear washed away completely.

Alfred laughed, his usual happy laugh, confusing everyone there "Jason, Jason, Jason….we are the best, ARTHUR, MATTHEW CLOSE YOUR EYES!" At that moment, a blinding light spread through the ranch, it was small but enough to make a distraction "AGH!" Jason let Alfred go and covered his eyes, running around blindly to get away from the light. Alfred stood up and took out the two people holding his friends hostage, they had thankfully followed his instructions and weren't affected "W-What happened?" Matthew blinked a few times "Michelle happened" The fairy flew down into Alfred's shirt pocket, panting "That took…a lot of energy…" She wheezed out "HEY! MISSED US?!" Two figures riding on horses came galloping towards them. Yao and Gilbert grinned at them, pulling the third horse into view "We gonna stand around or be awesome?" He asked.

"Where were you guys?!" Matthew hopped onto the horse Gilbert was on, he didn't know how to ride a horse on his own, the albino merely grinned "Shopping" Alfred had to carry Arthur again, since he was restrained, and made him sit on his lap once they boarded the horse "Y-You bloody git! Why the hell am I stuck sitting like this?!" Somehow, Arthur managed to rip off the cloth from his mouth, he glared at the swordsman taking hold of the reins "Well Artie we don't really have time to chat right now! Let's ride!" He whipped the reins causing the horse to instantly start running, Yao followed next then Gilbert and Matthew, they rode into the dark forest, despite how dangerous they knew it could be to travel at night.

"THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!" Jason shouted after clearing his vision. He ran towards one of the stables and practically ripped the door open, the horse inside neighed in protest, it backed up against the wall and tried to kick at Jason. The man took the horse out by force and boarded it, it thrashed against him, earning a hit from the Marauder "Now you listen to me you filthy piece of shit, you'll do as I say or there's hell to pay. HIYAH!" The horse bounded off with Jason riding it, the other Marauders followed suit of their leader and rode into the dark forest.

"AH! UGH! OW!" Meanwhile the others were facing an onslaught of low branches. Alfred rubbed his nose and ducked an incoming branch, he laughed in triumph until another one hit him in the face, it was Arthur's turn to laugh this time "Aiyah Alfred! I don't have that many bandages! Watch where you're going!" Yao scolded, barely missing a branch himself, were the trees actually that low? "Hahaha! Only awesome people like me don't get hit by branches!" Gilbert swiftly dodged a branch and smiled at his companions "See? I-HEUGH!" A branch hit him in the mouth, interrupting what he was supposed to say. The albino growled and spat out the leave from his mouth as Matthew chuckled behind him. They couldn't really see what was up ahead, the moon was their only source of illumination, they just hoped that wherever they were headed would be away from the Marauders.

"I see them!" Unfortunately their hopes were crushed. The Marauders chased after them, only they had torches lit up so they were actually able to see what was in front of them. Alfred scowled and made his horse go faster, his companions doing the same thing. Matthew looked up at the stars, using them as a temporary map, he smiled when they were actually going to the right directions "If we just keep heading north we'll be able to come across an intersection, And hopefully shake off the Marauders in the mountain path!" They were relieved to know that at least, all except Arthur. The mage's eyes glowed and widened in realization, he looked up ahead and started to panic "A-ALFRED! STOP!" The swordsman looked down in confusion "What?! Are you crazy?! They'll catch us!"

"Arthur that's not an option!"

"Exactly aru!"

"Have you lost it bro?!" The they protested.

Arthur panicked, they were getting dangerously close and at a high speed, he tried to take off his restraints even if he knew it was inevitable "NO YOU BLITHERING IDIOTS! WE'RE HEADING STRAIGHT FOR A-!" He wasn't able to finish. The horses fell into a cliff, taking their riders along with them, the group screamed out in terror as they fell into the ravine, the last thing they heard was Jason's laughter.

* * *

**A/N: Did I just put in the 2ps? yes. And for those who don't know Michelle is Seychelles :3c**


	4. Chapter 4: The cave

It was just another day in the facility. The walls were in bad shape, the old paint had started to peel off and curl into little rolls stuck on the wall, the floor was mucky, covered in mud from the last batch of soldiers that entered through here from outside. It was raining heavily yet everyone was as busy as they could get. Nevermind the poor standards of the base, all that mattered is that they did their duty, and well enough that they wouldn't get fed to the homunculus.

They didn't really do much there, it was usually catering for the needs of the royal family up above, there were cadets running around the place with papers or scrolls in their nervous grips, trying hard to get to their destination on time so they needn't worry about getting scolded by their superiors. You could hear the sounds of troops performing their daily training outside, in the muddy tracks on this rainy day, the stomps of their boots on the ground almost seemed to rattle the whole place considering how many men were out there. It was ridiculous! The last royal family didn't need this much soldiers to protect them, but as usual no one questioned it, and what made it a lot more suspicious is that no one has ever even _seen _the new family.

Come to think of it, they had declared that the usual public coronation was to be cancelled and they'd have a private one within the castle, now how could that not rise any suspicion from the people? They'd done the public coronation for centuries now, it was a symbol of the royals' willingness to show the people that they were open and weren't afraid to admit that they were human too and not just some ruling monarch. They way the new family had done it just showed that they had no intention of connecting and caring for the people at all. And how the kingdom went to hell in a gift basket so easily was enough proof of that.

Vladmir , or Vlad as he wanted people to call him, sighed. He watched the troops run around in circles on the field just below the small hill he sat on, there wasn't any good forms of entertainment these days and the young man just wouldn't take silence in so casually since his friend wasn't even there anymore, sure silence is nice, but he preferred to have shared it with someone close. He looked out of place in the facility, since everyone else was donned in a soldier's uniform, he on the other hand wore a black cloak with silver lining, it was open and he wore a dark blue trench coat inside, there was a small black hat tipped a little bit on the side of his strawberry blond hair. His red eyes scanned the bunch of jar heads below him, contemplating whether or not to try and break their focus with a little trick.

'_Nah' _He decided against it. The last time he did that, Ludwig was about ready to bite off his head, he can't help it, it was always so much fun to mess with such a serious officer like him. It wasn't his fault, lately his friends haven't been around as often as they could before, take Ivan for example. Now he was just left with babysitting trigger happy morons who can't seem to think about anything else but serving the royal family, he once suspected they were under some sort of mind control but he didn't detect anything of the sort. Of course he was still rebelling against them, he's a free spirit and he isn't gonna start acting like a puppet if the monarchy suddenly asked him to, he knew the only reason he still wasn't banished or executed was because of his power and….

"Come to think of it…it's been a while" He mumbled to himself, closing his eyes when a slight breeze hit him. The rain was moderately calming down now, it wasn't as much of a downpour as it was earlier, but he didn't really mind it. His senses caught a slight tingling sensation, a shiver passed through him as he opened his eyes to see what made him feel as such, his eyes scanned the area until he caught the sight of a small white flying thing in the distance "Oh?" He stood up from his spot and jumped into the air, letting the rain hit him, upon closer inspection he realized it was a paper messenger doll, one carrying magic he could recognize.

His hand reached out to catch the doll, but it naturally dodged and shocked him as he was not the intended receiver of the message, Vlad was surprised with how weak it felt. He swiped it up with his small hat, the doll instantly started to thrash in it's containment- but it was paper, come on it can't do much in a hat despite it's size- Vlad landed back into the hill he previously occupied and took out the paper doll from his hat. It struggled and electrocuted him but he could barely feel a thing "You're losing your touch Arthur…" He smirked. But he was concerned, usually when someone tries to take one of Arthur's paper dolls and was not the intended, they'd get knocked out by the electrocution that could take down two adult giants. But this one was weak, it lead the mage to wonder if something happened.

'_Ludwig, it's Arthur…' _He glanced back down at the doll who started to convey the message in Arthur's voice, so it was supposed to go to that guy huh? _'I found that resistance you lot have been talking about..erm but it's not what you think. This is a huge blow to my pride, just so you know, but I'm…stuck with them for the mean time, if it wouldn't bother you, could you send a few of your men to come fetch me?' _Then silence came next. Vlad chuckled, burning the doll, looks like he actually had something to do today, dear Luddy and his fruitloop patrol doesn't need to know about his friend's predicament, he was nice that way, he knew how much Arthur hated asking for the kingdom's help.

He conjured up a paper doll of his own, gave it instructions to tell Ludwig that he was off to hunt of phoenixes, then without a second glance at the base he went off into the forest to look for any sign of his friend's magic lingering in the air, he could follow the doll's trace but it was too weak for it to last for too long, so he had to improvise.

It couldn't be that hard can it?

* * *

"l….A..fr….Alf…..e…" Darkness. All he saw was darkness, everything hurt, he didn't want to move, or he couldn't move, he couldn't tell the difference. It was hard to breath, his lungs felt like it was burning, he tried to take in a deep breath but nothing came, no life sustaining air, no relief in his lungs. He started to shake violently, fear welling up inside him. Oh God he was going to die here wasn't he?! No! that can't be! He needs to save the kingdom! He has to be a hero! Wait…was that a bright light? "Al!...!...fred!...alfr…." He could hear someone calling him, it sounded just like Matt…."ALFRED!"

The swordsman was brought back to the world of the living when someone struck him on the face, causing his head to whip to the side. His eyes widened in shock, trying to register back into reality he blinked twice before lifting his hand up to his now reddening cheek "Ow" He turned his head to look at whoever dared to do that to a cool hero like him. His eyes were still blurry and he couldn't make out who was looming over him, the person groaned and reached to the side, a pair of glasses were shoved into his face "Mattie? What were you-" Matthew helped his brother up before he could finish, he had a dreading look in his eyes "Alfred you stopped breathing!" He blurted out.

Alfred's eyebrows shot up, stopped breathing? "I thought I lost you! I thought you died! Goddamn it you bastard!" He was instantly pulled into a shivering hug, he felt something wet drip into his shirt. Alfred mentally whacked himself for making his brother cry "Hey hey, shh, Matt I'm here. There's no need to be upset broski" He rubbed comforting circles on his brother's back, a small attempt to comfort him. Matthew sighed, breath shaking, he pulled away and rubbed his eyes with the back of his jacket's sleeve "God….we should really stop travelling at night…." Alfred chuckled, ruffling his brother's already messy hair "Yeah sure, where's the others?" Matthew motioned for him to follow, they walked down the ravine, careful not to trip on the random rocks appearing, it was foggy inside the ravine, a small stream of water flowed in the middle. It was damp and cold, certainly not a place most people would pick to visit that's for sure "When I woke up it was already morning" Matthew started "I couldn't find our horses, although that black stallion Gil and I rode is still here, Yao was already up and tending to our wounds, he told me it was surprising how we didn't die from that fall, an absolute miracle he said…you weren't there and I panicked when I saw you like..like that" Matthew rolled up sleeve of his now ruined jacket, the other one was long gone, Alfred noticed the bandages wrapped around his brother, but they didn't look like they were covering severe injuries, only cuts and bruises.

The swordsman looked up and almost dropped down to the ground in shock. They came from _way UP _there?! No wonder Yao said it was a miracle that they didn't die from a fall that high. His peripheral vision caught a small glow up ahead and a silhouette running around with something in it's arms, once they were close enough, Alfred saw that the glow came from a small fire and the silhouette was Yao with his medical kit "Oh! You found him aru! Let him sit down, I need to check his injuries" Matthew cleared an area and told his brother to sit down as he went to check on Gilbert, Alfred did as he was told and sat down on a small boulder nearby while Yao fixed up his medicines.

The doctor approached him calmly "Okay Alfred, I need you to do some tests-"

"Aw dude! Can we take the test later? I don't really want to think-"

"No! not that kind of test Alfred, I just need to see if you can move your limbs" Alfred nodded, flexing his arms and legs in response "Hmm good, okay now try your fingers, all of them to your thumb" The swordsman did just that. Yao nodded and took out a pocket mirror, he adjusted to the little bit of light from above and directed it to Alfred's eyes, his pupils constricted "Your eyes don't seem to have a problem either…" Yao marched right up to him and checked him over for any injuries "Odd, you don't have much but a few scratches aru…but I'll get you some medicine just in case" With that said, the doctor went on his way to look through his kit, leaving the swordsman to his thoughts.

'_Aren't I lucky?' _Alfred smiled, whatever watched over him really took a like- "MICHELLE!" He shot up from his seat, panicked. It caused Yao to jump as well, the kit flew into the air and landed back on the ground with a _thud _scattering all it's contents to the ground "Aiyah! Alfred what are you doing?!" The swordsman ran up to him and shook him by the shoulders "Michelle! Where is she?!" Yao raised an eyebrow and shoved the swordsman off him "What are you talking about aru?! Michelle? Who's that?!"

"THE FAIRY!" Alfred sounded almost frantic, Yao hummed "I think I need to check your mental state Alfred…." The swordsman groaned and looked around for the little blue lady, sadly she was no where to be seen "God…Michelle…I-" He felt like crying, if it wasn't for something stirring in his hair, he paled, if it was a bug he'd freak "Augh, Al? what time is it?" He instantly perked up to the sound of the voice, he reached up to his hair and grabbed hold of something, pulling it down to eye level "Chelle!" The little fairy sleepily smiled and cracked one of her eyes open, Alfred held her by her wings then set her down on his palm "Oh haaaaiii~aaahhh" She yawned, unaffected by their situation at all.

Yao stared wide eyed at the fairy, he almost dropped the bottle of herbs he held on to if he hadn't quickly slipped it into his pocket "A-Alfred, how did you….w-when did you…." He trailed off, watching the blue dressed fairy settle into sleep on his friend's hand. It would be an understatement if he said he was amazed, he's only ever caught a glimpse of faeries, read about them too, but he'd never seen one up close and personal. The doctor could have wanted to ask her questions if only she were awake "How; I don't know. When; we were getting close to the dragon's keep and she followed me out of the arch trees. Plain and simple dude! Isn't it cool though?" Yao nodded numbly.

"Y-Yes…" He looked into his pocket for anything that would cure hallucinations, he's sure Alfred gave him some sort of rare disease "She'll be staying with us! So you guys better be nice" At that moment, Matthew came in again to find the same thing Yao was currently staring at on his brother's palm "Uh…Yao?" The doctor ripped his attention away from the fairy and at Matthew "Yes?"

"Do you have anything for hallucinations? Because I swear to God I saw that exact same fairy at the inn" Alfred laughed and carefully tucked Michelle back into his shirt pocket "Naw! Michelle's real dudes! Come on, you guys are surprised to see a fairy when we practically live in lala land?" The two exchanged glances and exasperated sighs "No Al, you know cause….yeah fairies and faeries exist and all but seeing one so close isn't actually normal" Matthew took off the bandage from his arm and tossed it into the crackling fire near them, he was feeling better anyway "She must have been the one protecting you aru, remember you didn't have any injuries at all! Which was supposed to be impossible, but seeing as though you have a fairy with you…" Alfred suddenly realized something, he ignored the small chat his friends were having "Dudes…where's Arthur?" sudden fear welled up inside him, was he okay? Was he safe? Did he….

Alfred shook away his thoughts, he's just scaring himself. To his relief, Yao and Matthew didn't give out any hints that something bad happened "He's unconscious with Gilbert over there" Yao jabbed a finger behind him, Alfred looked over his shoulder and saw the two rested on separate blankets, Schmidt wasn't too far behind his master, resting on the smoothest area he could find. The stallion looked up for a second before resting his head on the ground again "We removed the ropes binding his arms so he'd be given a more comfortable position to recover, he doesn't seem to have severe injuries, though the ropes on his legs were gone when we found him not too far from where we are now aru. I think he tried to run but passed out after a few minutes" A groan from behind them caught their attention, Gilbert slowly sat up from his position, he rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times before his vision cleared.

"What the- OW!" He gripped on his arm and felt something wet slip into his fingers, he brought his hand up to eye level and grimaced when he saw a familiar red "Gott verdammt…ugh, what happened?" Matthew knelt down to his level and unwrapped the bandage on his arm to see the damage "Ouch, it's opening up again" Yao nodded and took out a fresh new supply of bandages from his bag "You're lucky it wasn't your head aru" The doctor knelt beside Matthew and started to disinfect the wound. Gilbert winced at the sharp pain then looked up, he whistled "We fell from that height and didn't die? Awesome!" He looked beside him "But I don't think this guy looks awesome right now.." He was referring to Arthur, out of all the rest he had quite a number of injuries, but not enough to kill him. Alfred looked away.

Matthew tsked and stood back up "No, not awesome. I tried looking for a way out ever since I woke up, and nothing. At this rate I don't know if we can even make it to Avia in time" "mmfph…." Alfred and the rest stared at his chest pocket, Michelle stirred in her sleep and popped her little head out "Al? where are we?" She sleepily lolled her head around, taking in what she saw "Are we in that Avia place yet? It doesn't look good…." Gilbert raised an eyebrow, his eyes darted from one person to another in confusion "Guys? What're you looking at?" Matthew looked at him in a way he thought he was crazy "You can't see her?" Yao asked. This brought up everyone's attention, even Michelle's "See who? I can't see shit in Alfred's pocket thing, is there like a bug in there?" Michelle gasped, she flew out of Alfred's shirt pocket and right in front of Gilbert's face, but the other's confused expression didn't waver. She waved her hands around, shouted, anything to get his attention. But nothing worked "Uh hello? It's not nice to keep the awesome me waiting for an answer!...why are you guys staring at me? Oh I get it! You're overwhelmed with my awesomeness right? Kesesesese! Well I'm flattered~"

"You…can't see Michelle?" Alfred pushed, all eyes on Gilbert. The albino looked around them back at his friends "Michelle? Was she with us before or something?...is she hot?" He laughed. Michelle's wing's drooped, she flew back to Alfred with a sad expression "He can't see me?" Her voice cracked. Alfred frowned and comforted the little fairy "Gil, you can't see her? She's a fairy!" Gilbert simply rolled his eyes "Aw come on! You guys believe in that shit? There's no such things as fa-" Matthew clamped his hand over Gilbert's mouth while Alfred and Yao kept Michelle from, almost, hearing what Gilbert said "SHH! It's dangerous to say that in front of a fairy! They'll lose their power!"

"Mhgmfphs!" Matthew pulled his hand back in disgust when he felt the albino lick it "Eeeew! Did you just seriously lick my hand?!" Gilbert smirked and stood back up "You wouldn't have let me speak anyway" Matthew shot him a disapproving look and wiped his hand on his shorts. Gilbert laughed and looked behind him when something pushed him slightly, he smiled widely when he saw who it was "SCHMIDT!" He happily hugged the horse. Schmidt neighed and stomped his foot a few times on the ground, also happy to see his master unhurt "You're okay! I knew an awesome horse like you wouldn't let me down!" Gilbert grinned and petted Schmidt then proceeded to run around as the animal chased after him. The rest of them on the other hand were having a small meeting.

"Okay, we need to find a way out of here and fast, I suspect if we get out of this ravine today then travel without a break later, we'll be back on track" Michelle listened into the conversation, interested with what they had to say, Yao glanced at her then back at the meeting "What about Michelle? She's a fairy right? Maybe she could, I don't know, teleport us out of here?" The fairy raised a hand to which Matthew nodded to "I can't do teleportation spells, plus I still feel drained" She stated in a matter of fact voice. The group sagged at the revelation "Well if Michelle can't do anything right now why don't we try climbing?" Matthew shook his head "I tried, it's too slippery and it'd take us all day to climb out of this ravine" They thought for a while, looking around for anything that could help them, so far all they saw were rocks and more rocks "Augh…" Looks like someone else is about to get dragged into the conversation as well. Arthur grimaced, he felt sore all over, he sat up and ran a hand through his hair _'Wait..what?' _He was wake now, looking at his free hand, he looked himself over and saw that nothing was binding him anymore, he could have jumped for joy if it were not for the people he labeled as 'blithering idiots' staring at him "Oh bloody hell….I'm still here? With you lot?" He struggled to stand up but found his cloak was caught on something, a part of it was wedged in between two rocks, he pulled and tried all he could to get it out, but it wasn't going to slip any time soon "Bugger this" He removed his cloak and discarded it, it was dirty and tattered anyway.

"Oh mornin' Arthur!" Alfred greeted with his usual goofy smile, Arthur glared at him but he couldn't look away from the idiot. He looked around to inspect his surroundings, just as he thought "I told you to stop but did you listen? Now look at where we are you imbeciles" He crossed his arms and shook his head at them, like a parent would if their child did something wrong "Hey you're a mage right dude? You can poof us out of here!" To Alfred's disappointment, Arthur shook his head "I'm afraid it's not that easy, after being exposed for so long to that rope infused with phoenix feathers my powers aren't exactly stable. And furthermore why should I help you if instead I should be arresting you?" They were interrupted when Gilbert suddenly screamed -in a manly way thank you- then a stressed Schmidt suddenly galloped into view. The animal frantically ran around and kept jerking his head behind him.

The group exchanged worried glances, then followed the distraught animal to wherever Gilbert got himself into, though Alfred had to drag Arthur since the mage didn't move to see what happened. Schmidt lead them near a giant hole in the ground, they peered into it to find the albino flat on his back, groaning "Guh, I should really stop falling into holes…" Schmidt jumped into the hole after his master and nudged him a few times to stand up, Gilbert gripped onto the horse for support, feeling his knees wobble when he tried standing up "Gilbert how the hell do you get yourself into so much trouble in one day?!" Matthew shouted into the hole.

"What?!" Gilbert cupped his ear, indicating he couldn't hear him. Matthew rolled his eyes "Should we? We're already far down the ravine, I don't want to go in deeper" Alfred complained, Arthur on the other hand already jumped down, something caught his interest inside the hole, he passed an equally confused Gilbert and the two of them ran in the same direction along with Schmidt. The swordsman shook his head in disbelief when he realized that the mage wasn't beside him anymore "What the hell Arthur?! God…" He jumped down as well and followed the other two, leaving Yao and Matthew alone "I don't think this is a good idea aru" Matthew nodded in agreement, but they ended up jumping down together anyway. The hole was dark, the only source of light came from up above where they jumped. It looked as though they were at the entrance of an underground cave "Guys! You gotta see this!" The two heard Alfred's voice shouting out. Yao and Matthew stood close to each other then followed the swordsman's excited laughter "Al what-"

Matthew stopped mid-sentence and gaped at the sight before him, Yao included. They stared in awe. They were right, it was an underground cave, but this one had crystals of different colors stationed almost everywhere, each of them glowing their own colors or switching. The ceiling, floors and walls had crystals sticking out like sharp daggers, the cave had a weird glow but at least they could see what was in front of them, it was still rocky but a little bit leveled. The cave was huge, enough to fit a big cathedral in it, there was a waterfall up ahead, and a little stream flowed through the cave. Arthur, Gilbert and Schmidt were already far from the group that just entered, the mage was looking closely at the crystals while Gilbert just played around with ones he saw were loose "These are elemental rocks…" Arthur muttered, standing up. Alfred, Matthew and Yao joined them after a minute of walking to their location, also eyeing at the crystals.

"Did you say elemental rocks?" Yao asked, he heard what the mage said. He touched one red crystal, it felt warm, he concluded that this was a fire stone. Arthur nodded, turning over a cold blue rock in his hand "Yes, it's the second time I've seen them, but not as many" Alfred wolf whistled "Wow, who would've thought there'd be a whole mother load of them in here" Matthew eyed the crystals that had a shattered top "Judging by the looks of it Al, I think someone already did" A gust of wind, a strong one, flew over their heads, they looked over at Gilbert who was pointing a clear crystal at them "I thought that would've been lightning or something but that was still awesome!" Arthur marched up to him and slapped the crystal out of his hand "Hey! I was-"

"Don't do that you twat! If there are elemental rocks here then there must be a guardian! They know when you've used one of the crystals!" Gilbert was about to retort, but Matthew lifted his hand up to silence the albino "I think we should listen to Arthur this time guys, he knows a lot more about this than we do" The mage blinked, shocked that someone actually agreed with him, he sent Matthew a thankful glance then turned back to the albino "Exactly, so if you don't want to face whatever guards these crystals then I suggest you refrain from touching them" Gilbert rolled his eyes, he doesn't like being told off like a child "Anyway, we really need to find a way out now guys, we can't stay down here forever" A cackle. They tensed and regrouped, going into their defensive stances, the laughter echoed through the cave like a broken record, creeping the group out even more. A shadow appeared up ahead of them, Alfred and Gilbert got their swords ready while Yao took out his trusty dagger and Matthew readied his bow and arrow. The shadow started to shrink down to the size of a man, and the laughter was starting to die down, the group readied themselves for whatever was coming next.

"Or can you?" A man, older than them, came out. He had light brown hair, save a few white ones, light brown eyes and a happy smile on his face, he wore some sort of armor that they couldn't recognize, but some parts had dents or holes in them, and underneath he wore some sort of red woolen tunic, then slippers for his feet "What do you mean 'or can you'?" Arthur was the first to question. The man laughed again but this time a good hearted one "I've been here for centuries now and I'm not complaining" The group swallowed. _Centuries?! _"Who are you?" Alfred asked, lowering his sword. The man smiled at them and began to approach them "I don't know, after all these years I can't really remember, but you can call me Rome. I'm the guardian of the elemental stones"

"Wait a tick, you're the guardian?!" Arthur lowered his defenses, so did the group. They were expecting some sort of horrifying creature like a giant, Cyclops or maybe even a dragon. Not some middle aged man in tacky armor "Yes!" Rome happily answered. The group looked at each other in confusion, Gilbert on the other hand started laughing "HAHAHA! For a second there I-I was-haha- worried! Oh Gott! Hahahaha! An old man? Pfft! As the guardian? Kesesesese!" Rome on the other hand didn't look offended at all, instead he grabbed a huge boulder and flung it near Gilbert's head, it whizzed passed him at an inhuman speed and crashed into the wall, creating a mini crater. The albino immediately shut up and paled at the sight "I know, I don't look like much but this old man still got it!"

"Wait a sec dude, are you immortal?" Rome nodded at Alfred's question, he was now standing in front of the group "Yep! Ever since back then, when I was chosen, I've been guarding these little rocks that everyone seems to want real bad, but you look like a nice bunch of young men and…er women?" He was looking at Yao, mildly confused, Yao huffed and shook his head "I am a man aru!" Rome laughed "Ah okay si, forgive me. Ahem, as I was saying, you all seem like good people, so I won't beat you to a pulp as long as you don't steal an elemental rock okay?" They all nodded stiffly, somewhat afraid of what this 'Rome' character was capable of "But we have to hurry, I think it's coming near" As if on cue, a scratchy animalistic like roar rattled the cave. They looked around cautiously, as well did Rome "_What _exactly is coming near?" Matthew asked. Schmidt shook his head and galloped towards his master, tense and afraid, Gilbert eyed him curiously "What? You being a pussy now Schmidty?" The horse huffed at his master and pushed him to the side, the albino laughed before standing back up beside his horse "Come on, I know a safe place to head to for now" Rome turned heel and started to walk into an opening, the group hesitantly followed after him "Hurry up or the spiders will get you"

"Spiders?!" Alfred looked behind them, thousands of little creepy crawlies suddenly emerged from cracks or holes on the wall, they scattered around in a frenzy after the roar had rattled the cave. The swordsman shuddered, it was like watching a black sea of little balls with legs scamp about in a messy manner. They started to approach the opening they went into, Alfred's eyes widened "Aiieeee!" He ran as fast as he could, he couldn't see the group anymore, the spiders started to climb the walls as well. Alfred ran until he spotted Arthur up ahead waving at him "Come on you sorry git! Run faster!" there was a huge gap in between them, it went from the floor and into the roof. Alfred took in a deep breath, he ran faster until he was close enough to jump.

He leaped from on end to the other, almost knocking into Arthur if the mage hadn't stepped to the side. The spiders simply crawled upwards, or downwards, unable to jump the gap like Alfred had. Arthur tapped a panting Alfred on the shoulder "Are you alright?" The swordsman nodded and waved him off "Yeah dude, totally fine" Michelle popped up from Arthur's mess of hair "Oh my God Alfred! I'm sorry I wasn't there! I thought Arthur was you" She flew down and landed on Alfred's shoulder "Haha, that's okay Chelle, I made it didn't I?" She leaned on his cheek and giggled "You're so cute sometimes" Alfred blushed and rubbed the back of his neck "I'm not cute…" He mumbled.

Arthur glared at the fairy, he felt a sudden growing dislike for her, more than he already had for the fairy. He gripped on Alfred's wrist and pulled him towards the group up ahead "Whoa Artie, what's gotten into you?" Arthur ignored him, he didn't know either and he wasn't about to tell the idiot that. They neared the group who was talking to Rome in an open space up ahead "Al! you shouldn't lag behind like that!' Matthew scolded him. Arthur let go of the swordsman and walked beside Yao, the doctor didn't question it. Alfred frowned at the sudden loss of the mage's hand "I know Matt, sorry"

Matthew sighed, he couldn't take all this stress at once "It's fine Al, let's just promise to stay together this time okay? If Arthur hadn't noticed that you were gone, we would've left you by now. Jeez, and people say they don't notice me" So Arthur was the first to notice huh? Somehow that made the swordsman feel somewhat happier that the mage realized he wasn't with them _'I knew he cared' _He thought happily. They went on with their little walk with Rome, with the elder sharing stories of what had happened in _'days of old'_ most of them listened intently while some just droned him out. It didn't take long until they reached their destination "Here we are!" Rome announced, gesturing at a cave. There were the usual elemental stones hanging around but some were cleared off most areas, there were piles of books, maps and scrolls scattered on the floor, a small fire – lit up with fire stones- stood at the center _'Well cave within a cave I guess' _Matthew thought to himself as they entered. Rome plopped himself down, near the fire, and gestured for the others to do the same. After settling down, Rome decided to speak up "So what brings you folks to this place?" he asked.

"Well actually we didn't want to go here, we were running from a bunch of dicks that just wouldn't leave us alone" Gilbert answered for them, he was lying on top of Schmidt. Rome made a soft 'ah' sound in return "I see, then what were you doing before these people chased you? You aren't thieves are you?" Rome meant it as a joke but the group took it as something that would endanger their safety with the immortal "Ah! No! we're not! We were on our way to help some friends in a town called Avia" Yao said. Rome's expression turned serious, he hummed in thought "I see, were you going to stop the squadron there?"

"How did you know?" Matthew asked. Rome smiled at them "Well, two weeks ago, there were people crossing the bridge above the ravine and I happened to heard their conversation. Interesting, those young men, it surprised me with how far into the future this world has gotten" He said it in a way that sounded dreamy. To be honest, Rome had always wanted to get out of the cave again after staying here alone for so long, he wanted to see what had happened in his absence, he always had visions of the outside world, but he'd rather see for himself. This information, however, sparked a shining hope inside Matthew "Did they say anything important?!" he asked, nearly invading the elder man's personal space. Rome looked down, suddenly pulled away from his thoughts "Oh? Uh well they said something about a flying machine"

"We know"

"Okay uh…did you know that they were planning to declare war on all magical creatures?" That made silence wash over them. The kingdom has done really insane things for the past few years now, but this one is down right psychopathic "W-War?...on all magic?" Matthew stared at the ground, this was absurd! Why would the kingdom think they could suddenly take on all of magic? Weren't they using magic too?

The royal family was insane, they really are the worst. Why would they suddenly declare something so stupid! So crazy?! So…so- he couldn't think of any words to describe the family anymore, he's used so much already. But to try and wipe out something that's been with them since the beginning of time? That couldn't be done so easily "Those fuckers!" Gilbert shouted, startling the group "What the fuck?! Declare war on all things magical?! Those bastards lost their minds!" Rome frowned, sensing the sudden dread "I'm sorry but that's what I heard. They want to wipe out all the magical creatures, any trace of magic afterwards will be destroyed" Michelle on the other hand started to cry on Alfred's shoulder "N-No! they c-can't! what have we done to them to deserve something like that?!" She wailed. The swordsman tried to comfort her, shushing her and whispering soothing words "Michelle don't worry, we'll never let them do that okay? Shh shh, I'm the hero remember? I'll keep you safe"

The fairy sniffled and gripped on to Alfred's hair, sobbing quietly "This is bad aru" Yao spoke up after getting out of whatever trance he was in when he heard the news "This is on a whole new level, now it's really important that we get to Avia, help Lukas and the others, then get to the kingdom" Matthew didn't hear it, he was busy drowning in his own thoughts and worries. He felt like he was about to explode, all the stress, that horrifying news and responsibility suddenly weighed down on him, same went for Alfred. They really had to stop the kingdom at all cost, the Marauders be damned! They can't worry about those guys now, an even bigger threat is on it's way.

"We have to find a way out now!" Alfred said, standing up "Those bastards better watch out! I'm never letting them carry on with their plan! As the hero it's my duty to protect those who need my protection! And guys, I can't do this alone, a hero need s his sidekicks right?" Despite Alfred's annoying hero-sidekicks comment, everyone agreed with his first statement "Rome!" Said person looked up at him as he stood up "Yes?"

"Do you know a way out of this cave?" Rome stood up as well, but he cautiously looked outside first before turning back to the group "Yes but it's guarded" They were about to get the answer to their unasked question. The same scratchy roar from before echoed in the cave, the group looked towards the mouth of the cave they were in as something multi colored, huge and scaly slithered on the ground. Alfred paled "Oh shit"

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry it's a little rushed because I'm leaving soon and tests are coming up, meaning no computer for a while. Also thank you lovely people for reviewing! you guys make my day 3 **


	5. Chapter 5: Can we talk later?

"Oh shit" Alfred stayed as low as he possibly could, the others doing the same thing. They hid behind corners or tall rocks inside the cave while Rome put out the fire in the middle by stomping on it with his foot. The creature outside snarled, rearing it's head around before slithering to another direction, it didn't appear to have any eyes, just a big gaping mouth with sharp pointed teeth in seemingly never ending rows, it's color consisted of blue, brown, black and red a very unlikely set to be seen together. It had a pungent smell, that of burning rubber, and it's of enormous size. The middle of the creature looked transparent and also very swollen, exposing it's stretched organs and a sort of green goop inside it that sploshed from side to side every time it moved but never far from the middle as if there were two walls separating it from the front and back side of the creature, whatever it was.

"I think I'm gonna blow chunks" Gilbert emphasized his statement by clamping a hand over his mouth and looking away from the creature, it's not that the creature itself unnerved him, it's that middle part of the creature that gave him heebie jeebies. What kind of sick joke is mother nature trying to pull here?! Matthew looked unsettled as well, actually he looked a little green, he swallowed down the bile in his throat, hoping no one noticed "What _is_ that creature?" Yao asked, doing better than most of them "It's a groundworm, something near the lines of _олгой-хорхой, _the Mongolian death worm. But I've never seen one like….this" Arthur explained after being silent for a while, he's encountered many of these creatures before, but it doesn't mean he liked it.

"That's sorta cool, but not really on the account that we have to face off that thing…uh do we?" Alfred asked nervously. Rome shook his head, much to the younger's relief "We don't have to" He whispered "All you need to do is sneak past it and get to the exit it's guarding" Rome pointed at the narrow hole near the worm, it was still slithering around restlessly. Matthew noticed it had gash marks in some parts of it's body, it lead him to wonder…"Have you fought this creature before?" They all looked back at the old man, Rome smiled sadly and nodded "Yes I have…a long time ago, I fought it because I wanted to achieve something I crave and up to this day I still want it…" He sounded almost melancholic "If you don't mind me asking, what did you want from it aru?" Yao raised and eyebrow, genuinely intrigued.

"My freedom" Was the simple answer given to him. They were a bit taken back by the man's answer, but before they asked questions that would pry deeper into it, Rome crept forward with an old rusty sword in his hand "Come on, it won't be long until it starts getting smart and actually search every corner of the cave" The group exchanged glances but eventually they followed the immortal out of the mini cave and into the open where they could be in a lot of trouble. The worm growled below them, slipping through sharp stalagmites. The cave they were in was high above the worm and a narrow path winding down on the side of the wall lead to the exit below, but being high above the creature doesn't mean they were safe, if the worm decided to lift itself up into a straight position then they're screwed "Just stick close to the wall and stay quiet. When we reach the end of the path, I'll branch out from all of you and stay as far away as possible from the exit, the worm is locked on my scent only, so don't go near me down there okay?" Rome whispered at the group tailing behind him. Michelle swallowed when she spotted the worm below, she dove deeper into Alfred's pocket and hoped they'd get out okay "Wait Rome!" Alfred grabbed the man's arm, stopping him from proceeding down the path "Si?"

"Why don't you come with us? Don't you want to leave the cave?" The question struck Rome harder than it should. Conflicting emotions sped through the immortal's features, it was what he wanted since then right? He quickly removed the unwanted expressions on his face and returned it to his usual happy demeanor "That's a hard question, but yes I've always wanted to leave the cave" Alfred tilted his head to the side "Does that mean you will?" He wasn't given any answers as Rome descended down the path again. Arthur punched Alfred's shoulder, the swordsman bit down a whimper "What was that for?!" Arthur rolled his eyes at him "For being insensitive" Alfred stuck his tongue out childishly at the mage then followed Rome down the path.

They stayed as quiet as possible, in fear that the worm would hear or see them. Everyone felt cold, no matter what they did the chill never left their bodies, most held their breath or kept them as small as possible, their shoes lightly scuffed the ground while they pressed their backs into the wall as much as they can "Sh-" Matthew bit his tongue when he stepped on unstable ground, causing a small part of the path to break off and fall into the ground. Gilbert held Matthew so he wouldn't fall over himself. The piece fell to the ground and broke into smaller pieces.

The worm shot it's head up seven meters away from where they were, hearing the sound. It slowly turned around to inspect what happened, the group held their breaths as it went directly below them, looming over the broken piece of the path, he snarled and looked around, the green liquid in it's middle swiveled from inside it's body. They hoped it wouldn't look up, but that's where they were wrong. The worm spotted them after jerking it's head up, they came face to face with a big gaping maw with sharp triangular teeth in a never ending red cave within seconds "FUCK!" Matthew shouted, he rarely cursed out loud but who wouldn't when you were staring straight at a creature big enough to swallow a small house. It screeched at them, saliva flying out of it's mouth and at the group "BLEUGH!" Alfred wiped the worm spit off his face with a grimace, Arthur on the other hand was only moderately covered in spit behind a small broken barrier he managed to conjure up "Disgusting creature…." He shivered when he felt the spit slid down his back, he was _so _going to take a bath after this. Gilbert spat out some of the saliva that got into his mouth "GROSS! IT'S UNAWESOME GERMS ARE IN MY AWESOME MOUTH!" He practically started to wipe his tongue on the wall, rather than having some creature's backwash in his mouth. Yao was luckily able to hide behind Matthew, but the other wasn't amused with it. The worm leaned it's head back and opened it's already wide mouth as much as it could, it was preparing to strike.

"RUN!" The group hurried down the path just as the worm dove into the wall, it rattled them but they continued on. Debris started falling from the ceiling, threatening to hit anyone close enough, the resistance members picked up speed just as the worm shook out of it's missed shot. The worm roared and readied another strike. Yao looked behind him, seeing the worm bare it's teeth then shoot forward in godlike speed, his eyes widened in fear once he saw where it was heading "GILBERT!" For a moment in time, everything stood still. The doctor thought he heard a scream, but it sounded too low to be the albino's.

A figure darted out from the creature's side, wielding an old silver sword, he caught a glimpse of light brown hair flying in the air before the figure landed on top of the creature's head.

Rome.

There was a sound of a blade cutting through slick skin, blue goop flew and the worm arched back and screeched in pain. It twisted and turned, trying to shake off the man on it's head, sometimes ramming into walls just to get him off, Rome on the other hand anticipated the worm's reaction and dodged the walls as much as he could "WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT GITS?! GO!" Arthur snapped them all out of their terrified daze, they sped down the path and landed safely on to the shaking ground below while dodging the falling debris up above "We need to leave FAST! We could get caved in!" The exit was a mere ten meters away from them, they just needed to dash through the stalagmites, the thrashing out of control worm, shaking uneven grounds and dangerous sharp debris that could kill them falling from above.

No big deal.

"Come on!" Alfred went first, maneuvering his way through rocks and falling ones from above, Yao followed behind him then Gilbert, Arthur and Matthew. The slid, jumped, rolled and crawled their way through the destruction falling all around them "The exit!" They were about to slip into the narrow cave, but the worm brought it's tail down and cut them off. They all skidded to a halt, looking up at the creature and spotting Rome on it's backside, swinging his sword around like mad. Alfred took a step back, he had to admit that this looked awesome but this wasn't the appropriate time to say it, the creature wasn't as swift or slippery as it's smaller brethren, but it's size and odd construction that he couldn't help but follow it's movements with icy fear "GO!" Rome shouted from above, bringing his sword down once again on the creature's flesh.

"WHAT ABOUT YOU?!" Matthew shouted back. The worm flicked it's tail away from the entrance to the exit, thrashing it around behind it near a wall full of elemental stones, they broke and began to unleash their power. Elements shot through different directions, depending on what the worm hit. Rome laughed "Don't worry! I know what I'm doing! I'll be fine!" He reassured them like a grandfather would his grandchildren "Now go! Get out of this cave! That exit won't stay open forever!" He referred to the falling debris that was beginning to gather around the exit "BIRDIE COME ON!" Gilbert ran and took Matthew by the wrist, they dove into the exit followed by Yao. Arthur was about to follow too but a certain swordsman didn't move an inch.

"What's wrong moron?! MOVE!" Alfred stared wide eyed at the mage, his gaze flickered towards Rome battling the worm not too far from them. Arthur caught his gaze and quickly paled "Oh no! you are not going to do that Jones!" The mage's words fell on deaf ears. Alfred quickly ran towards the worm, sword unsheathed "JONES!" Arthur groaned and stomped his foot on the ground, he was going to hate himself for doing this. Begrudgingly, he ran after the swordsman and hoped his that he could at least conjure up a spell or two despite his current instability. They ran back up the path they were on earlier, but it proved difficult because of the broken rocks in the way. Alfred looked back to see Arthur running behind him, he smirked at the thought of the mage willing to help but quickly shook it away, they had to save someone.

They stopped just above the thrashing worm, with Rome cutting through it's middle, spewing the green liquid everywhere, the worm roared a scratchy roar before twisting it's body into loops "What's your plan now _hero_?" Alfred ignored the obvious mockery at the end and simply smiled at the mage "We jump on it and attack!" He said enthusiastically. Arthur steadied himself when he was about to fall over, he wasn't sure if it was from the shaking cave or this swordsman's stupidity. Before he could retort, Alfred gripped on to his wrist and jumped. All insults Arthur was originally going to throw at the American quickly disappeared and was replaced with a shocked scream.

They landed near the middle of the worm, where Rome was currently shredding the swollen lump into pieces. The elder looked up and gave them a shocked gaze "W-What are you still doing here?! You should get out!" Alfred smiled triumphantly "I'm the hero! I wasn't about to leave you fighting this thing all by yourself!" Rome on the other hand simply glared at him "I know what I'm doing! I'm not about to risk your group's safety like this!" Arthur shook his head at him "You should know that idiots like him never give up until they get the result they want"

"Yeah! Idiots like- Hey!" He pouted at Arthur but quickly dropped to the worm's back when it started rolling around, the three gripped on to the creature as hard as they could so they wouldn't get thrown off. Once the worm went upright, Rome stood up and jumped in front of the two "You need to leave! NOW!" He shouted. Alfred on the other hand, wouldn't have it "NO! I'm going to help you beat this thing!" Rome grimaced. He shook his head and them then went back to where he left off, hacking the creature to pieces "It's a yes then!" Arthur sighed "I think he gave up trying to save your sorry arse from death" Alfred ignored him and began to do as Rome did. He pierced he sword through the creature's flesh and started to run through it's body, the worm shrieked and practically flung itself to the wall, Arthur's eyes widened, he took a deep breath but quickly stopped himself, remembering where he was

"_IGNIS!" _He shouted a simple spell instead. Fire shot from his arms and hit the wall behind them, the worm sensed the burning sensation close to the wall and immediately bolted away in fear of searing it's skin. Alfred yanked his sword out of the creature's skin, blue mixed with green liquid hitting the swordsman's body, he looked back at Arthur and flashed his signature smile "That was awesome dude!" Arthur stiffened then looked away from Alfred as quick as he could _'It's only a basic fire spell…what's so 'awesome' about it?' _But Alfred's comment somehow made his heart flutter, he could even feel his stomach do flips, Arthur paled _'Dear god, am I allergic to this twat?!' _He shook his thoughts away. What absolute nonsense….or is it?

Rome looked up, seeing the cave slowly collapse on itself. He glanced back at the two behind him, using the same fruitless tactic he used in centuries past. He grit his teeth and gave the worm's neck one last stab, watching it slowly heal itself once more. He ran towards the two and scooped them up into his arms "What the-" "Bloody hell!" He ignored them and jumped off the creature, making a mad dash towards the exit. The worm, realizing it's nemesis had fled, roared loudly as it spotted him running for the exit, it's sharp teeth retracted from inside it's mouth, then it shot out blood red magma. Rome looked back and yelled in shock when a bit of the magma managed to hit his leg "ROME!" Alfred stared at the magma on his leg, it was beginning to harden "I-I'm fine! Wormy there just ate a weak fire stone" He joked. Rome continued to run, but he began to slow down due to the magma hardening on his leg. They were three meters away from the cave but the worm was relentless.

It shot out more of the magma, they barely missed the trio it was aiming for, but it was a little pleased when it managed to hit the immortal's leg. He bolted forward and slid on the ground at a fast speed, determined to get rid of the bane of it's existence in this accursed cave. Rome looked back, eyes widening when he saw the worm advancing "Be good boys okay?" He mumbled the phrase he had said once a long time ago. Arthur caught it but he decided not to say anything "Hey Rome dude, what did you sa-" Alfred didn't finish. Rome threw both of them towards the cave, they screamed in surprise but managed to reach it just as the worm was upon the immortal. Rome grabbed the worm by it's teeth, his inhuman strength enabled him to push back at the monster, keeping it at bay.

Alfred groaned, shaking his head as he pushed himself up, he helped Arthur up as well just as the mage started to get out of a daze as well. They stood up, but it was only half way considering how low the roof was "ROME! COME ON! WE CAN MAKE IT OUT HERE TOGETHER!" Alfred shouted out to the immortal, still pushing at the worm. Rome shakily looked back at them, he slowly smiled "N-No, I have to stay, t-there's no p-place for me out there, n-never was" Tears started to flow down the immortal's cheeks, but he still held his shivering smile "B-Besides, where would I-I go? I'm sure m-my family i-is not even there a-anymore…but you b-boys, you still h-have much to live f-for out there. Don't disappoint me. NOW GO!" Alfred was about to step out again until Arthur held his arm tight "Oh no you aren't you stupid git!" The mage dragged him towards the end of the exit, the swordsman still struggled in his grip, trying to reach out to the immortal "ROOOOOME!" He shouted out one last time before getting out of earshot.

Rome chuckled, closing his eyes. He could hear the faint rumbling of the falling cave and the heat of the magma beginning to escape the worm's mouth "Such nice boys" The walls collapsed, hard rocks hitting the ground and breaking, the elemental rocks shattered as well, only a few still stayed in their positions/ The worm growled, building up the magma from within it's body. The debris fell in front of the exit, completely sealing it off, the cave shook and rattled violently, any other person would have been petrified in fear, but Rome was calm and…. actually happy.

'_I'm tired'_

'_Then why don't you rest old friend?'_

'_Yeah! Then we can go eat out and dance with girls right?'_

'_Mm, sure. Whatever you want'_

The worm shot it's final blast of magma just as the cave closed in on itself.

* * *

"Alfred! Arthur!" Matthew pulled the two out of the hole, Arthur first then Alfred. He grunted once when he tried to pull his brother out "Jeez Al, cut down on the meals will ya?" Alfred pouted and pushed himself up "I'm not fat! You're just not working out as much as you should Mattie!" Yao walked up behind them, he looked all of them over for injuries. He sighed in relief, looks like they weren't all that scratched up, but he may need to disinfect some of the wounds.

Gilbert looked himself over, trying to see if there was any damage done. He was happy that he still looked awesome and- "SCHMIDT!" He looked around frantically for the horse, his heart hammered in his chest, that horse was one of the best freaking things that ever happened to him next to Gilbird "OH MY FUCKING GOD! I THINK WE LEFT SCHMIDT IN THAT CAVE!" He ran around in a circle, unsure of what to do. The others looked at him in befuddlement before moving to catch him and try to calm him down "GIL STOP!" Matthew reached out to take the panicking albino's arm but to no avail. The others circled him and tried to close him in to restrain his movements "FUCK! HE'S DEAD NOW ISN'T HE?! HELL NO! SCHMIDTY COME BACK! I DIDN'T MEAN TO CALL YOU A PUSSY! IT WAS A JOKE SEE?! HAHAHA!" Eventually, Matthew, Alfred and Yao were able to box the Prussian in, although Gilbert was still moping.

"GODDAMNIT! FIRST GILBRID NOW SCHMIDT?!" He shouted out in frustration. The others exchanged worried glances "Look Gil, Schmidt was a good horse aru, and I know you took a liking to him when you first laid eyes on him but….you have to understand that the things we get into may not be easy for the animals we bring aru, and sometimes we just have to accept that…that they won't stay for long" Yao remembered his own lost buddy, a cute panda bear he used to carry around in a basket on his back. Needless to say, the little bear didn't last long.

Gilbert frowned, looking at the ground. He saw his own shadow, he grimaced at it, Schmidt was the same color. Michelle popped up from Alfred's pocket, she flew up after she confirmed that the albino stopped wailing "Hihi" She giggled. Alfred looked up at her in surprise "Michelle! This isn't funny!" He scolded, was she really that insensitive. The fairy's amused smile didn't falter despite Alfred's scolding "You guys are blind, his pony is right there!" Yao and Matthew's ears perked up to the fairy's statement "What? Where?" Matthew asked her. Michelle flew down and landed on Gilbert's shadow "Right here!" The group stared at her, then at the shadow. Gilbert looked up at them, confused "What're you guys looking at?"

"Gil, can you move for a sec dude?" Alfred asked. Gilbert rolled his eyes and stepped to the side "I don't see how this is going to help me-WHAT?!" He stared down at his shadow, or what was supposed to be his shadow, still on the same spot he stood on earlier. His real shadow was actually behind him. A neigh brought them all back, the shadow jumped up and began morphing into a solid shape "SCHMIDT!" Gilbert ran to the horse in excitement, he immediately jumped into the saddle and hugged the creature "THAT WAS AWESOME! When did you learn how to do that?!" Schmidt shook his head and simply stomped on the ground "Aw whatever! You're still here at least!" Yao sighed and shook his head, but he was still somewhat amused. Matthew smiled, at least Gilbert wasn't going to whine all the way towards Avia. Alfred laughed along with Gilbert, he was really happy for him. Also the group just completely ignored the fact that Schmidt just came out of Gilbert's fricking shadow! but what the heck, they've seen a lot more messed up shit than that. Although somehow the swordsman couldn't shake off an itching feeling climbing up his spine, like something was missing or something was about to go wrong. A cartoonish lightbulb turned on in Alfred's mind, he nervously looked around "Uh guys? Where's Artie?" The group went silent "We suck at watching prisoners"

"Oh? YA THINK?!" Matthew shouted "Great now he's gonna spill to the army about our plan" Alfred patted his brother on the back "Relax dude, he couldn't have gotten far! Let's just go after him!" Yao frowned "And how do you suppose we find him aru?" A string of curses filled the air, followed by the occasional 'bloody hell' "Found him!" Alfred walked up to Gilbert with a knowing smile "Hey mind if I borrow your horse bro?" Gilbert looked him over, as if inspecting him "I dunno, are you awesome enough for-"

"GIVE HIM THE DAMN HORSE ALREADY!" Yao and Matthew shouted out together. Gilbert raised his hands up in mock surrender "Alright jeez! Don't get your panties in a twist!" He stepped down from Schmidt and let Alfred board him, the horse jerked a little bit at the change of riders "Hey bud! Don't worry I'll take good care of you for now" Michelle flew in front of the horse with a cheery smile "yeah! You can trust Alfie" The horse seemed to calm down at the sight of the fairy, Alfred nodded in approval at Michelle's deed "Okay! Let's go!" He turned the horse into a different direction from where it was originally facing and raced off into the forest they entered "We'll be right behind you Al!" Matthew shouted.

Arthur ran, he didn't care where the hell he was going to wind up in, just as long as he was as far away as possible from those lunatics. Just from first glance he knew that they were a magnet for trouble, if those marauders and groundworm wasn't proof enough, he'd dare anyone else to say otherwise. He ran past thorn bushes, low branches and tall grass, he was going to find a way to the army soon, he knew it. He smirked at the thought of those impudent rebels at the mercy of the kingdom, on their knees and begging for forgiveness just to be sent away to be executed at the town square. A painful feeling shot at his chest, he stopped and looked at the ground, wasn't he supposed to be happy at that mental image? Why did he suddenly feel so conflicted?

To be honest, the image that haunted him the most was the one of Alfred hanging by a noose, completely still and eyes lifeless. That just didn't sit well with him at all! _'No! he deserves it! He's practically a criminal and he's threatening the kingdom!' _But for once he didn't agree with his thoughts. He pushed his feelings aside, whatever they are. Who cares about what happened to the rebels? As long as he's well and good enough to move on with his life then let them get executed! He grimaced, what's with all this confusion?!

He shook his head and began to run through the thick forest again _'It's probably just trauma or something…trauma, trauma, trauma, trauma…' _He repeated the word in his head like a mantra. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he almost didn't notice a horse galloping close "ARITE! HEY!" He flinched _'Alfred?!' _He looked back to confirm that the American was indeed chasing after him, on a horse. He paled, no he can't go back to them now! Not after waiting for the right moment to escape! He ran faster, trying to conjure up a spell to help him get away from the persistent American, his powers are starting to stabilize but still not all the way "Come on come on come on!" He balled his hands into fists and concentrated on his power, trying to concentrate them into his hands.

Once the sufficient amount of energy built up in his hands he turned around to execute the spell "_Fumus!" _A wall of smoke burst in between them. Schmidt fell back, neighing, the distraught animal stomped on the ground and backed away from the hot steam "Whoa! Sch-uh..smith? whatever! Calm down! Whoa boy!" Michelle flew in front of the horse and tried to calm it down as well "Schmidt! Be calm! Nothing will hurt you!" The fairy had to dodge the shadow horse's frantic head bashing, it took a while but they managed to at least keep the stallion from thrashing around. Michelle used her own magic to lower the spell Arthur cast, she opened a temporary hole through it and let Alfred and Schmidt jump through first before following herself.

Alfred spotted Arthur up ahead, but he was really far away. The swordsman wasn't about to give up now though, he wouldn't let the mage go that easily "Hiyah!" Schmidt ran once more, with Alfred telling the horse to go faster. The stallion started to get tired of the swordsman's loud requests to gain more speed, finally the horse had enough and began to sink through the shadows, dragging Alfred along with him "What?" Alfred felt lighter and tingly, he watched as his own body was slowly consumed by shadows, at first he wanted to just jump off the horse and just run after Arthur.

….

….

…

NAH! "OFF TO ADVENTURES!" Alfred laughed as he and Schmidt melted into the shadows, Michelle clung onto him. Arthur looked behind him, hearing the swordsman's last cry before sudden silence came next. No clopping of the horse's hooves against the ground, no annoying comments or laughter from Alfred, just a whole load of nothing. The mage skidded to a halt, he couldn't see the swordsman anywhere, he actually started feeling concerned, a man the horse he's riding on couldn't have possibly disappeared into thin air!

Possible scenarios crossed the mage's mind, either they were abducted or fell through some hole on the way. Or maybe…had he imagined all that up? After being alone for so long at his post near the keep, maybe he had gone bonkers like the soldiers had said. He frowned, if he really had imagined all that up he must still be at his post near the keep, probably talking to a wall or something, though the very thought of having imagined all that up with his sick mind left him rather empty and disappointed, and feeling rather lonely _'Calm down Arthur, don't start scaring yourself like that' _He breathed out, realizing that he actually held his breath "Haha very funny Alfred!" He took one last glance at the forest, unsure if he should actually continue.

In the end, the mage simply shook his head and continued running to wherever he might end up in, but he did feel like he was ripping off something important from him the further he got from the group he left behind _'Damn resistance…'_ He was suddenly cut off by something huge and dark, and somewhat transparent. Arthur gasped and stopped running, he prepared to attack "Wait! Artie whoa there!" The shadow spoke up, startling the mage. Alfred flailed his arms around as the shadows melted off him, he relaxed when he saw Arthur lower his hands as well, Schmidt grunted and shook off the last of the shadows from his body. Alfred made a mental note to congratulate Gilbert about gaining such a cool horse.

"What the bloody hell Jones?!" The swordsman turned his attention back to the mage "I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to stay with your dim witted resistance any longer!" Alfred jumped off Schmidt and made his way towards the mage with a calm smile. Arthur stepped back, glaring at Alfred as if daring the man to touch him "And I thought _I _made it clear that I don't want you to leave my 'dim witted resistance'" He gripped onto Arthur's arms, making sure that the mage wouldn't escape from him, but if he did try, he could still hunt him down and drag him back kicking and screaming if he had to. He expected Arthur to lash out on him for keeping him restrained again, to his surprise Arthur simply held his glare. Wow, if looks could kill, Alfred immediately prayed to whatever God is up there that his conclusion about Arthur not being able to cast spells _without _his hands was correct and there wasn't a slowly burning hole in the middle of his forehead "Apparently you didn't because we wouldn't be in this situation would we?"

The swordsman scoffed "Why are you trying so hard to get back to that no good kingdom of yours? They're evil dude!" At this Arthur's expression changed to that of anger, he shoved the American off him rather harshly, causing the swordsman to nearly bump into Schmidt behind him "Evil?! I think you should take a good long look at yourself first! A rebel trying to take down the royal family, someone who has the blood of hundreds of good soldiers on his hands!"

"Well your precious 'good soldiers' have the blood of _thousands_ of innocent people all over them!"

Arthur scoffed "Don't make loop holes Jones, we are talking about you and your little resistance here so shut it. And about that, who's fault do you think it is that we had to move to more drastic measures? Oh that's right, it's because of the trouble you rebels always conjure up!" Alfred groaned, what does he have to do to make this guy see just how unjust the kingdom is? "What about what Rome said? He told us the kingdom was gonna wage war on all things magic! Isn't that sorta on the evil side?" The mage waved him off like a fly "Oh please that man has been in that small dark cave for centuries, he must have been a little bit bonkers" Alfred balled his hands. He breathed in and out, trying to calm himself down "Don't even go there Arthur! Rome practically sacrificed himself and his happiness to protect those elemental rocks from people like those in _the kingdom_" He made sure he emphasized the last part.

Alfred didn't see it coming, Arthur launched himself at the swordsman and punched him_. _The American staggered to the side and held his swelling cheek, he never knew the mage could actually hit him _that _hard "You shut it! Those people saved my life and you're asking me to join you and _betray _them?! Don't make me laugh. The kingdom has done nothing more than good to me, they've been the only people I could turn to when I actually needed someone! I will _never _turn my back away from them!" Alfred scowled. He wasn't mad at Arthur though, he was mad at whatever sick bastard brainwashed him to think that way about the kingdom "Well Artie you're wrong about them" He straightened himself up and walked towards the mage who was still shaking with anger "If you saw what they've done to the people, I don't think you'd be idolizing them now"

"I don't believe you" Arthur crossed his arms in defiance. Alfred sighed "Then I'll just have to let you see it for yourself"

"What do you me-" Alfred hit Arthur on the head with a nearby log he managed to pick up, the mage fell to the ground, unconscious "ALFRED!" Matthew called out, Yao and Gilbert not too far behind. The rest of them finally caught up, they panted and leaned on some trees- or collapsed near a tree in Gilbert's case- once they caught up to the American. Schmidt galloped towards his master and nudged him a few times to see if he was still alive "Did you…did you get him?" Matthew wheezed out, trying to catch his breath. Alfred nodded and slung Arthur on his shoulder like he did before "Yep! Out for the count for now" His brother sighed in relief "Was h-he…trying to…get back to t-the kingdom?"

"Yeah but I got him" Alfred smiled.

* * *

They decided to rest up for now, seeing as though they still had time to cross the boarder later, Yao tended to everyone's injuries while Gilbert got some R&R with Schmidt by his side. The twins had gone to a nearby clear blue lake to take a bath and finally get the worm saliva off their skin, but Matthew on the other hand wanted to talk to his brother more than get clean "Do you think it's still a good idea to keep Arthur around?" Alfred looked up at his brother when he heard the question, the swordsman was in the middle of removing his shirt "Yeah bro, why?" He discarded his shirt and went to untie his boots "You saw what almost happened, he tried to run back to the kingdom, if you hadn't captured him and he did make it back, we'd be hunted down by soldiers and palace mages every single night and day! And when they do catch us, it's lights out for everyone in the resistance" Alfred laughed, like it was a joke, he removed his boots then his pants until he was just in his undergarments, though he immediately jumped into the lake after that. Matthew shielded himself with his tattered jacket, that he had already taken off before, but it provided little protection from the splash Alfred managed to make from his jump. The swordsman resurfaced and ran a hand through his wet hair "Aw relax Mattie! It didn't happen did it?"

"That's not what I'm talking about Alfred. I meant what if it _could _happen? This is definitely not going to be the last time Arthur tries to run away from us" Alfred frowned and did a doggy paddle through the water to go near the edge of the lake "Then we'll make him _not _want to run away!" Matthew raised an eyebrow "What?" The swordsman grinned and kicked water at him, luckily the archer saw it coming and jumped away before it hit him "I mean, make him one of us, y'know part of the family!"

"Won't that be hard though? Isn't he loyal to the kingdom?" Alfred nodded, a sad expression crossing his face "Mhmm, you should've seen him earlier. When I said that the kingdom was evil he flipped out on me and started preaching about how 'good' they were, how they 'saved' him and all that jazz. Look!" He turned his head and gestured at his now slightly swollen cheek "He even punched me to prove his point!" Matthew's eyebrows shot up "So that's where you got it…Anyway back to the matter, yeah the kingdom isn't actually as 'pure' as they claim they are but I think I can understand where Arthur is coming from judging from what you told me" Alfred floated on his back, eyebrows furrowed in confusion "Huh? You're not telling me that you think the kingdom's good too are you bro?"

"No Al, just listen first. You said that Arthur told you that the kingdom supposedly 'saved' him right? so to him they're as much of the good guys as we are to the people, and we're the bad guys" He decided to put it in a language his brother could at least understand. Alfred hummed "So? They're still the bad guys Mattie"

"Wait, think of it like this. What if suddenly you were taken from everything you know, meaning the resistance, and people start telling you to join the kingdom's army instead-"

"HELL NO!"

"Be quiet Al and let me finish! They tell you things you don't understand, like things what the resistance has done that aren't exactly good deeds-Face it Al, we had damages on our side before too- Then they show you the good and just things that the kingdom is after, so up to that point you'd probably be confused with what to believe in" Alfred scoffed "Yeah right! I'd never turn on you guys! You're my peeps!" Matthew nodded "Exactly, and that's how Arthur feels about the kingdom. In his eyes, possibly ever since he was younger, they were the heroes he's always looked up to, people he wanted to be like when he grew older. They raised him. They probably taught him about people like us and naturally, he has the same hatred for us as the kingdom has because that's how he was brought up. Then suddenly we come along and practically destroy everything he knew in a single heartbeat. If you were in his place, I think it'd be the same, and besides we aren't in the right place to judge, you never know if there may be good people in the army and the kingdom, we can't label them with one thing like 'evil' only if we don't even have the slightest idea about who those people are. Maybe they're bound by duty? Maybe something's threatening them? It's against their will? You'll never know Al"

This actually got the swordsman thinking. Alfred sunk into the lake until it almost reached his nose, little bubbles from his mouth coming out from under the water. Matthew sighed and hung his jacket near a tree "Just think about it Al, our perspectives may not be so different sometimes" Alfred sighed, he got up from the lake and gathered his things on land. With one look at his brother he walked back to their site, without another word. Matthew frowned, he really hoped his brother could understand Arthur's situation if he really was planning on persuading the mage to join their resistance.

* * *

**A/N: One last chapter until I enter what my whole school has dubbed 'Hell week' no really I'm not kidding, my _whole_ school (I'm seriously not joking, my school's fricking huge, it's a private school that looks close to an academy) calls it that due to the lack of sleep and tons of work everyone has-including the teachers- so this is practically like something I'm leaving from my will here in this website. Anyway I know nothing really happened here, a worm battle, a failed escape and a small talk wasn't what I originally wanted to go for but I ran out of time with all the tests and projects piling up on Monday. I hope I survive this week, one time a classmate of mine got sent home because she cracked under stress and went mental (scary bros O.o)**


	6. Chapter 6: Honda Kiku

**(A/N: Sorry! a family thing came up and it was just a lot to take in. So I decided to have a chapter for Kiku this time, to show how he's doing! though it may not be all that happy)**

Kiku was honest with himself. There's a huge possibility he might die.

It's been going on for about a month now, nothing he did was ever effective enough to hold _it _off. _It _always found a way around any barrier, any spell or wall he put up around himself, no matter what he did, where he hid, who he was with, _it _still tortured him. In his mind he's always screaming, asking for help,_**begging**_ for anyone to hear him call out so desperately to fight _it _off so he didn't have to do it all alone. He tried to do it on his own, believe him, he knew his capabilities and his limits and he was sure that he would be able to handle _it_, but that was his first mistake.

He didn't tell the others around the first week, he knew how much of their fighting against the kingdom drove everyone to the point of near death, everyday was just another test to see if they can still stay alive long enough to see their goals reached, he knew it would cause them more problems if he had told them what was happening with him, he didn't want the burden to be laid on anyone else's shoulders, so he took on his usual reserved silence, promptly ignoring the frightened voice inside him wailing for someone to realize something was wrong. Besides, he knew how much of a shut in he had become over the years, even if he wanted to say something he's convinced that he'd only fumble and panic with his words that nothing coherent would even spill out of his mouth, especially with the gravity of what he was facing.

He didn't exactly know what _it _was, hence he only called it 'it' for lack of better terms, but he knew one thing about _it_, _it _was _hurting _him.

It plagued him, night or day, the suffering and utter fear inside him seemed to skyrocket out of control that it almost made it hard for him to keep his reserved demeanor. He felt waves of nausea hit him every time he thought, he shook like a leaf in the most spontaneous of times even under warm weather, his muscles ached and detested any sudden movement as if there were wounds inflected onto them- though when Kiku checks there's nothing at all- and the worst pain that comes to him is when he uses his magic.

He didn't realize it the first time, but it became so _painfully _clear when he conjured a barrier to stop a wolf from attacking him, for Godsakes he felt as though he was **burning, **everything hurt and he could have sworn he could feel his skin melting off his bones, he cried out in agony and forced himself to lower the barrier and just run, he couldn't remember much of what happened during the events of that night. At first he thought he had some sort of bug or an infection of some sort, but he had gone to a doctor once and he was told that absolutely nothing was wrong with him, it left him concerned and very much terrified that even doctors don't know what ailed him.

Another thing that came along with _it_ were the nightmares, oh the nightmares…..Every time he closed his eyes, he would find himself in an unknown place, with unknown people, and even he couldn't recognize himself, it was as if he were in another person's body. He'd hear the voices calling out a name, and see faces of unfamiliar people rushing towards him, clearly distraught and panicked, before something, either from the shadows or not, came towards him or the other person with him to have either or both of them meet their demise. He died a thousand times in his dreams, forms of death varied, or he would see someone he didn't know die but still found himself screaming and feeling pure devastation and loss at the end. It all felt so _real_, and it didn't help that they were vivid and very detailed.

The nightmares tolled on his mentality, he found that it became harder for him to tell the difference between reality and fantasy. He'd stay awake, panting in cold sweat, unable to bare the assault of emotions, he wanted to cry out and just vent out all he'd bottled up inside for so long but decided against it, the others wouldn't be of much help, he was sure that this kind of thing wouldn't just blow over and leave him to have his peace, it would surely torment him until he finally finds his way to death's doorstep. These nights usually ended with him curling up into the smallest form he could manage and muffle his sobs until morning.

The more he went on with _it, _the more it was visible to those around him just how much he was suffering. The resistance had noticed his change of attitude, although he liked keeping to himself, he still participated actively to whatever they were doing, either for fighting or relaxation purposes, but during that time he would only space out and stare emptily at nothing until someone got him out of his trance. He rarely ate, even when given his favorite foods consisting of a terrifying amount of salt, he started getting thinner and paler each day, the dark bags under his eyes showed his failure at another attempt to sleep without being plagued by nightmares, and he had a tendency to get ill quicker than the rest.

Yao was the first to notice of course, he was the resistance's lead doctor, the signs of Kiku's deteriorating health appeared to him as if they were flashing lights in the dark of night. At first nothing was said, but when it was clear to the good doctor that Kiku wasn't getting any better, he decided that it was time to take action. They did talk- Kiku avoided most questions –with Yao getting even more suspicious day by day, he kept a close watch on the former royal mage, made sure he ate whether he wanted to or not, and even went so far as to check on him every once and a while when he slept.

Kiku knew what Yao was doing, he deliberately did everything he could to show the doctor that he was fine, he pretended to be asleep when Yao would check, but he'd immediately snap his eyes open, fearing that the gruesome images that replayed in his mind would attack him again, but as soon as he heard footsteps, he dives back into his bed and waits for the usual open and close of his bedroom door. It had to stop, he couldn't keep this façade up much longer, one day he'll break down eventually, and he didn't want the others there to see it, so he just…left.

He knew it was being selfish, he was the only member in the resistance who knew so much about the kingdom that it would have benefited everyone, but instead he threw all that away to run from his petty fears that he didn't even want to ask help with because he deluded himself into thinking he was protecting his friends from something dark and horrible that they, the people who brought hope to a land where even God did not want to touch, did not deserve to see. He told himself it was nothing, with time he'll be able to come back to them, to share the same happy thoughts and visions as they did once, everything will be normal again.

But for how long does he need to keep hoping before it came true?

"AH!" He was shaken out of his thoughts when he tripped over a rock, he turned and gasped as his back hit the rough and rocky ground. He coughed and scrambled back up, kicking up some of the earth beneath him in the process, until he was able to find his equilibrium and start running again. He knew he looked messy, his hair stuck out with some leaves and twigs that got stuck in them, his grey cloak was torn and half of it was missing, he lost his left shoe and his once pristine white clothing was now covered with dirt and other things he wishes to speak not of. He had several scratches on his face and a colorful bruise was forming on his right arm from when he hit it against a tree, but it didn't matter to him how he was, he just needed to _run. _

His breathing quickened with every step he took, he was sure that he'd pass out with how much the world was spinning around him, he swallowed down the bile that crawled up his throat, unwilling to let himself just give in like that. He jumped over fallen trees, dodged low branches, swam across rivers and slid down mounds of dirt just to get away from _it. _He was aware that he was dreaming, lucid dreams like these were not uncommon, but the problem with them is that he would always relive the most terrifying recent memory he has, he could change paths and do as he wished, but it all still ended the same way. The pain he felt was real, his battered mind could still register the injuries inflicted onto him in this particular memory. He could make them go away for a while, reminding himself that he was dreaming, but with how much he's been through the whole month, reality and fantasy started to mix together right in front of him.

He skidded to a halt when he reached a cliff, his eyes widened in fear at the height, then he directed his attention back to the darkness, stretching closer and closer with it's black and wispy tendrils. Voices screamed and wailed at him, attacking his senses from each direction, begging for the pain to end, he shared in their pain, wishing for it all to just stop, he covered his ears and screwed his eyes shut, he couldn't bare this! This isn't fair! Whoever these people are, they don't have the right to just assault him and beat him down with their own suffering! As the voices continued howling and the darkness slowly surrounding him, he could feel only one thing _pain_ but not physical, no something more of a greater scale, pain that gripped on to his most _inner _being, tearing at it until there was nothing left, something that reached only the most deepest recesses of _what _he really is. Oddly enough, even though he could _feel _it, the pain was not his. Something or someone was using him as a vessel to express what they feel, he knows it! But who exactly was doing this? The darkness finally reached him and the voices rose to a deafening level, he cried out with them, even if he couldn't even hear himself, he stumbled and screamed, forgetting for a fleeting moment that he was already at the edge of a cliff.

Then all he felt was the feeling of falling.

* * *

Kiku woke up with a start, rather than his usual jolt he just snapped his eyes open and pressed his mouth into a thin line, his breathing was normal but everything else was rattling, he sighed and calmed himself, aware that the shock still didn't leave him. He noticed that the little rays of sunlight started penetrating the lush green forest he was in, must be morning already, there were little dots of the light peeking from behind the trees, almost playfully, the tree he was under was a little bit more thick than the rest around him, but it didn't stop the shining rays from coming in. He let his hand fall to the side, feeling a patch of grass under it, he lazily ran his hand over the grass in an attempt to reassure himself that he was awake and this was real, he's not dreaming.

That was the most sleep he'd gotten over the month, even if he managed to calm himself enough to sleep around twelve midnight, the tortures he endured were no different but he learned how to numb himself to the point where he couldn't feel anything completely, until someone points it out at least.

Once he felt his shaking had died down he stood up slowly, using the tree bark as leverage to hoist himself up. The mage shook his dirty grey cloak, trying to get majority of the dirt off it, come to think of it, when was the last time he even took a bath? The thought made him cringe, well maybe if he kept walking, he'd find a lake or a river eventually, at least that soothed him a bit. He donned his cloak again, mindful of his leaf bandaged injuries, he'll have to find something to permanently cure _that _problem of his. When he was still in the resistance, Yao was always-

'_No, do not think of them….just don't…' _His already weary mind reminded him, it would hurt less if he didn't remember them. Kiku checked his surroundings, none of the dangerous creatures seemed to be out and about, but he had to be sure, he didn't want a run in with a goblin or a troll anytime soon, not with his current weakened state. It led him to wonder how far he's fallen, from a prestigious and proud royal mage who had power at his fingertips, a renegade who wanted nothing more with his old life, a rebel who had the fire in his heart to fight for the people, to _this_ a battered, tortured and pitiful excuse of a shell of who he once was. First Kiku was blind and he got killed in the end of it, the second had seen the world in a new view and was willing to see that new world but was led to his demise. He wasn't even sure it he was _any _version of Kiku anymore, had the first known this he would have been disgusted to be attributed to someone like him, a clueless coward who knew nothing of what he was dealing with, too blind to even see that the people who would have done anything to help him was right in front of him, too stupid to know that he just cast away the only silver lining in the wretched life he lived now.

Did he even deserve his own name? the name that once held authority and respect, the name that brought his family pride, the name that once was known for kindness, the name of a man that was willing to put his life on the line for others, the name of a man who once had control of his life…..Was he worthy of such a thing? Kiku bit down on his lip so hard that he drew blood, the metallic taste slithered it's way into his tongue that he had to spit it out of disgust. He was really pathetic wasn't he? Standing here moping and sniffling about how miserable he was when he should be out there helping anyone who needed him. Was he so far gone that he cared about only himself now?

The former mage pushed the dark thoughts down, the last thing his mind needed was added stress and self loathing, he made his journey through the forest, interested to find a lake at the most, letting the sounds around him just completely engulf him and make him lost in his meaningless quest. It was nice, times like these, to just forget who and where you are, to be filled with peace- temporary maybe- but still peace. The grass below him crunched with every small step, he still had muscle pain, and the birds started to chirp happily as if they sensed his small wish for a little bit of distraction, he appreciated it nonetheless. The breeze came before he was able to catch on with it's presence, he kept a hand to the side of his face to keep his hair from covering his eyes, he smiled softly at the feel of the cool wind against his skin, it was one of the little pleasures he still had access to.

Kiku was so lost in his little trip to a made up heaven in his head that he almost missed the soft groaning in the distance. He immediately snapped back into reality once he found that who was making the pained groan sounded closer than he thought, he looked around once but found no one, it puzzled him greatly. Had _it _finally have such a solid grip on his mind that he's actually crazy now? The sound of pained voices was only audible in his dreams, had _it _finally found a way to extract the voices that _hurt _him in too many ways possible into his reality? The reality that gave him small comfort away from the nightmares that only come at the dead of night? He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists at his sides. He didn't want _it _to take away what was last of the defense he had against his obviously crumbling mental state, he liked being sane thank you _'It's not real, _it _is only trying to show you that it has more power over you, but you're stronger…you're stronger….' _He chanted it like a mantra, but the groaning still persisted "Be quiet!" He said firmly, as if instructing a child who wanted something he can't give them in fear of spoiling them.

"I would you bastard if you-agrh!- helped me!" He blinked in confusion, had the voice just said a clear sentence? Usually it was just moaning, groaning, whimpering and screaming never words "Did you hear m-OW!- me The first time bastard?! Help me damnit!" Kiku whirled around, trying to locate the source of the voice, if the thing wants to torture him then he'll pretend that he's playing around just for his own entertainment, he found himself becoming bored with the calming, reassuring, wonderful and safe sounds of the beautiful forest anyway, what a bit of madness wouldn't fix that? "Where are you?" He called out tentatively, carefully combing through branches and bushes. He caught movement from one of the bushes, it rustled angrily as if it were struggling with something _'Well that is it! Kiku you are crazy, you just offered help to an angry bush-san' _ He shook his head disapprovingly at himself, he can't believe it but he finally broke, _it _must have done a pretty good job if he hadn't even noticed it.

"Hey! Idiot talking to me earlier! I'm right here!" He turned a weary glance at the still shouting, and rustling, bush. He cautiously stepped towards it, still on his guard, if _it _wasn't the cause of the bush shouting at him then _something else _was and he wasn't eager to fight with anyone as he had just woken up. That and he still hasn't hunted down his breakfast _'Hm, I never thought I'd ever be doing such a thing' _He mused at the thought of the earlier Kiku being able to easily acquire a meal without even lifting a single finger, how drastically that changed. The mage carefully picked up a stick and started to prod at the bush until he found an almost fleshy like surface, there was a surprised yelp from the other side "CHIGI! Don't do- AH!- that!" The Japanese man slowly crept towards the fairly large bush, hesitantly looking over it for any sign of life "Oh my…" Was the only thing that left his lips when he saw what was on the other side.

A young centaur, and he looked as though he was trying to hold back a pained expression, he had dark brown hair and hazel eyes with a fairly tanned complexion but still not enough to make it seem as though he was dark skinned. Like most centaurs he doesn't have much covering him, why need?, just a lone brown sash going from his shoulder to his hip, Kiku deducted that the bow and arrow splayed on the floor used to be on that sash. The creature/boy growled and struggled with something on his leg "D-Damn thing!" he almost whimpered. He gave the still unseen thing on his leg one last tug before giving into exhaustion to collapse to his side. And for a brief moment, brown eyes met hazels, the other instantly flaring with fear "SHIT! HUMAN! D-DON'T HURT ME!" Kiku's eyebrows rose in surprise, the centaur sounded so confident earlier when they still couldn't see each other, weren't magical creatures suppose to be able to tell the difference between auras? People said it was a myth but anything's possible.

He looked back down at the now cowering- and foul mouthed- centaur on the ground, the other was watching him carefully, flinching at even the slightest movement he made. The once annoyed hazel eyes, as Kiku looked closer, held only defensiveness and fear, this centaur must have had a very unpleasant run in with another, less merciful, human if he was reacting like this "W-Where's the other guy?! Did you kill him?!" _'Other guy?' _Kiku looked around, no one was there, maybe the centaur sensed someone else nearby, someone the mage couldn't feel was there since he had refrained using his magic which had heightened his senses before. With this new information, he mentally told himself to be a little bit more careful in the future. Now back to the current situation. Kiku raised his hands up in a gesture of good will, he chose his next words carefully as to not scare the magical creature in front of him, a fact that he's still trying to wrap his head around "Don't worry centaur-san, I will not harm you…" He said it so softly that he felt as though he was addressing a small child.

The centaur glared at him and inched away but immediately winced when he did. Kiku heard a small metallic jingle somewhere close by, he furrowed his eyebrows together and gently circled the bush to see the centaur in full view, stopping only a few times when the boy went tense with his movement. To his shock the centaur wasn't just calling out for help just for something trivial, he covered his mouth with his left hand to stop any gasps from coming out, centaur-san might be sensitive to his situation "Heh, is it that bad?" There was a bear trap clamped over one of the centaur's leg, there was a red puddle surrounding the injured leg where the trap's sharp metallic teeth bit down hard, making sure it's catch won't be able to get away. Kiku swallowed and approached the trapped centaur, he pushed away the bush and grimaced at the injury. The trap was really _in _there, the mage could have sworn he saw a it of bone on the ripped flesh "W-What happened?" He asked.

The centaur emitted a humorless chuckle "I was on my daily run, some bastard left this here and when I tried to jump over the bush I stepped on it, anything else? Because I think I'd be happy to tell you my whole life story if I wasn't fucking writhing in pain on the ground!" He spat out distastefully. The mage ignored his angry outburst and examined the trap, it looked well built and it might be hard to remove, though still doable "May I?" The centaur rolled his eyes and collapsed back into the ground, Kiku knew he didn't have to ask twice. He mustered most of his strength and tried to compress the springs to get the jaws to fall open, but nothing happened, he tried to pry it open next –while still compressing the spring- only to realize that his weakened state won't be able to do much "Are you even trying?" The centaur asked. Though it sounded more of a strangled question than one for scorn. Kiku let out a big puff of air, trying his two tactics again but still meeting the same result.

He groaned and stepped away from the trap, he had to think of something, the centaur was loosing a lot of blood, time is of essence. He looked down at his hands, they were rough and scratched after all those years of using them in battle, holding a sword or casting a spell, he frowned and closed his eyes, one last option _'Do you promise to practice your magic for the greater good of our kingdom, to use it to aid, to nurture and help those who need it?' _He recalled the first time he officially joined the ranks of the mages, when he made that oath, he said yes right away, knowing that he was destined to be of service as much as he can. He knew it would hurt, to use his magic, _it_ started to grow restless, sensing his intent, but as always he ignored it. Kiku knelt down and touched one of the trap's jaws, he muttered a simple fire spell and set to work on it. He winced and bit his tongue, clamping a hand over his chest as he slowly melted the sides of the jaw, it _hurt, _the burning sensation instantly attacked him and tore at his senses leaving his mind to drift in and out of consciousness as he started going numb.

'_No! you must stay awake! Centaur-san needs you right now!' _He wanted to argue with his inner voice, tell it he was _hurting too much _that he just wants the darkness to consume him quickly and ease his pain, but that voice fought back with greater force, shouting at him to stay awake. He sighed in relief when the side he was working on melted off, one more to go. He moved his finger from one side to another, quickly muttering the same spell before tracing his hand down on the metal jaw. He whimpered, the hand gripping on his chest flew up to his mouth, he squeezed his eyes shut when the pain intensified the second time, he removed his hand from his mouth and started gasping, trying to get cool air into his lungs. He felt as if he were on fire, his skin seared and his innards twisted in the most painful way possible, he let out a shuddering breath and continued "H-Hey, you okay?" The question obviously came from the centaur, it sounded so unlike the earlier tone he had, this one sounded genuinely concerned.

Kiku was aware he started to sweat, he felt it trickle down the side of his face, his breathing came close to a very painfully slow intake of air, the mage could feel his eyes drooping _'A little…bit longer….s-stay awake….focus…o-on…' _Even his mind stopped working since he couldn't form another complete thought. The punishment for not taking very good care of himself finally made itself clear for the mage, if he were still a little bit healthy then maybe the pain wouldn't affect him so much, if he doesn't drop dead now he'll make sure he has the proper amount of food, water and sleep intake. The metal finally melted off with one last push from the mage, Kiku shakily removed the upper jaw and eased the centaur's foot off the trap. The creature looked happy for a moment, but one glance at the mage made him stop mid celebration. Kiku was panting as if he just ran a marathon, and to add to that he was sweating, the mage was wobbly on his feet and was unable to stand without holding on to something- that being a tree branch- "Hey, mage, what's wrong?" The centaur lifted himself up, mindful of his injured leg, he limped towards his rescuer and held him by the shoulder "Y-You don't look well" A hand made it's way up Kiku's forehead, the mage sighed in relief when he felt the cool touch.

The centaur on the other hand had a look of horror plastered on his face, he immediately pulled his hand back "You're fucking burning! Oh Jeez! You're….." He trailed off, a hint of realization dawning on his features, with a bit of terrified concern hidden behind it"It…it's happening to you?" Kiku wasn't able to ask what he meant just as his eyes rolled back and he finally collapsed, letting the dark consume him completely.

* * *

Kiku stumbled across the burned and deserted village, the only indication that there was once any life here were the crumbling black remains of houses that could have held lives of innocent people, families that did nothing wrong but love each other dearly. An eerie fog crawled along the ground, twisting and turning through roads and homes, no matter how hard you try to fan it away it always stayed where it was, immediately collecting back together if it dissipates. It was dark, but there was still enough light for the mage to see what was in front of him, but he wishes he couldn't. He could hear crying, frightened and barely audible to his ears, Kiku looked around for the source, wanting for it to stop, it reminded him of his own misery, something he just isn't good at pouring out to others "I-I want my mommy" His eyes widened when he realized that the crying came from behind him, he slowly looked back, trying to stop his shaking.

He found no one there, but the voice sounded so much like a little girl, scared and in pain, the disembodied voice made noise of crying and hiccupping, it sounded so pitiful, if it were someone else they'd seek out the child and rescue her from whatever horrors she's facing. But Kiku found himself frozen, unable to move from his position even if all he wanted to do was run "I'm scared…h-help me please!" The earth beneath him shook, the mage steadied himself. The sniffling girl, now screaming out of sheer terror, started to say things the mage could not understand "It hurts! Go away go away!" She pleaded to an unknown being. Despite the fear, Kiku felt the urge to come towards her to help, there was a bizarre connection between him and her that he couldn't understand. The child screamed again, the earth shook, this time Kiku was literally knocked off his feet, a wave of energy came from the child's screaming and shot him backwards. He dug his feet into the ground to keep himself from being pushed any further, once he leveled himself he looked back up at the child "Go away! You're hurting me!" _'Is she talking about me?' _This worried him to no end, had his past life as a palace mage somehow ended up hurting an innocent child that now she haunts him?

"Please leave me! You're all hurting me! MAKE IT STOP!" She sounded desperate, her voice cracked a few times like she had a hard time talking. Kiku covered his ears in response of the girl's shriek, he'd help her if he knew what she was talking about but this one sided request was just getting ridiculous! "Where are you?!" He shouted back. The girl made crying noises from a place he couldn't place "IT HURTS! YOU'RE ALL HURTING ME!" The mage soon found himself gripping on for dear life as the ground below him cracked and separated from each other, a dark abyss left in their wake. The mage made a sound of discomfort, seeing the blinding darkness just below him. The forest surrounding the burned village seemed to come to life, roots twisted around in a messy manner, covering anything that they came in contact with, Kiku yelped when a root wrapped itself around his ankle, he gripped onto the ground but found himself being dragged backwards.

He dug his nails to the ground in an inevitable attempt to keep himself from being taken against his will, he left deep marks on the ground, some with splotches of red in them. The root had painfully started to grip harder, Kiku panicked when it didn't seem to want to stop crushing him, it was only when he felt, and heard, the crunching of his bones being broken that he screamed at the top of his lungs, the pain becoming unbearable for him to endure. His mind went on full alert, now aware that he was hurt and in agony, he tried to crawl away from the roots, dragging himself across the dirt with only his hands and one still in tact leg, he screamed when another root latched itself onto his torso and started to drag him back again, he flailed around, clawed at the roots trying to bring him to his demise, he didn't want to die!

More roots sprung up and closed around him, squeezing him in the slowest most painful way possible. He gasped and tried to shout for help, but found himself only gurgling out incoherent words when the root around his torso started to crush him slowly. The lack of air made his head spin, like there were tiny needles pricking at him, his movements became sluggish and small, unable to muster any more strength. Red liquid pooled out of his mouth, if someone would make a sadistic joke about his situation, it's almost as if he was a tube of toothpaste being squeezed to have the last of it's contents out, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as the liquid kept coming out like water from a fire hydrant, exploding out of him like it wasn't important, he could feel his ribs cracking and being pushed together by the force of the root's squeezing, his innards were probably becoming flat as pancakes now, though he could actually feel something slithering up his throat "You're hurting me…" The last conscious piece of his mind heard the girl's voice once again, almost as if she was just beside him "….I'll hurt you back" The roots on his body suddenly went into overdrive and quickly closed around him. The sickening crunch and squelching sound reverberated through Kiku's last thoughts.

"OI WAKE UP!" Kiku gasped and held his neck, springing up to a sitting position, he was practically gulping in breaths of air, he let out terrified cries, his mind unable to fully register back into reality. A hand slapped him across the face, causing his head to jerk to one side "CALM DOWN!" The screaming voice was actually _not _making him calm, it made things worse! Kiku shrieked and pulled at invisible binds on his body _'They're still here! They'll suffocate me! They'll break every bone in my body!' _His irrational mind thought, increasing his terror "Hey hey hey! Not like that Lovi! Do this!" A gentler voice penetrated the clouded mind of the tormented mage, a hand soothingly rubbed circles on his back while the voice tried to calm him down "Hey, shh, nothing will hurt you here, you just had a bad dream that's all, shh, you're okay, we're here to protect you, you don't have to worry about anything" A part of his mind told him to stay away from the voice, don't reach out to it, you'll get hurt, you're better off this way. Then it took no time for Kiku to realize that it was _it _talking to him, he would never think like that again, he swore that he'd take the chance of letting others help him from now on.

Slowly, his vision started clearing, the broken land was gone, the accursed roots weren't squeezing the life out of him, the little girl's voice wasn't there. Instead he was in some sort of cave, there was a torch hanging on one of it's walls, he felt the "ground" beneath him and realized it felt like a fabric of some sort, it was soft _'I'm on a bed' _his mind supplied for him. It's been a long time since he's been on something like a bed before, usually he'd be on piles of grass or tree branches these days. He finally noticed the presence of two other beings in the room with him, the first one he recognized was the centaur he helped out of the trap, staring at him like he had the plague, and there was another centaur too but he didn't recognize him. This one definitely had tanner skin, he also had brown hair, but his eyes were kinder, gentler, a bright olive green that just relayed a whole festival of emotions "Are you okay now?" The new centaur asked. Kiku nodded numbly, he shakily hugged himself as if trying to protect himself from something unknown. The new centaur nodded happily and reached for something, he lifted it to Kiku's face "Here, drink. You might feel a little better" The mage stared at the glass for a moment before taking it "T-Thank you" Came his raspy reply. He took one experimental sip and found it felt good to have the cool liquid slid down his sore throat, he drunk the rest of it's contents after that. He placed the now empty glass on a side table next to the bed he was on, which actually wasn't much of a bed at all, it was made out of a few furry animal skins piled together to try and make one "You fucking scared me asshole, don't do that again!" The centaur he saved from earlier finally spoke up. The new centaur chuckled and shook his head "Lovi was worried, he said after you saved him- which you have my most grateful thanks for- you collapsed and started having a seizure. He brought you to me right away, good thing both of you weren't far"

Kiku sent an appreciative smile at the centaur that saved him "Thank you centaur-san" The other looked away, cheeks burning from the recognition "None of that 'centaur-san' shit, you'll get the tomato bastard confused. My name's Lovino" The mage chuckled a bit and nodded in understanding "Alright, thank you Lovino-san" Said centaur huffed and crossed his arms "I'm going out" The other centaur in the room looked at him worriedly "But Lovi, your injury-" He was immediately interrupted "I'll be fine! God you're annoying!" With that, Lovino galloped/limped out of the small cave they were in, but he didn't go that far, just a little ways close "He's a handful, but he brings all the joy in my life" The other centaur sighed happily as he watched Lovino gallop around the trees. Kiku smiled, he knew what it was like to have a person, or people, change your life in a way that you will always see the light, shame he just threw his away so easily just when it became the most unattainable and precious thing he could ever want.

"Oh where are my manners? We haven't done introductions" Kiku looked back up at the older centaur, he bowed his head down "I'm Antonio, Lovino's current caretaker. Who might you be mage?" He smiled through it all, Kiku wondered if he ever stopped smiling "H-Honda Kiku, it's very nice to meet you Antonio-san" Antonio grinned like a cheshire cat, the mage was amazed at how far he could stretch his smile "How long was I out?" He asked. Antonio looked at his fingers and started to cross them out, much to the mage's distress "About three and a half days" Kiku looked down, the floors seemed interesting, he bit his lip and did his best to keep his worries at bay. Antonio sensed this and squeezed his shoulder, gaining his, albeit shocked, attention "You don't have to be nervous around me, in fact you should be the guest of honor! You saved my Lovi when he was hurt, that's enough for me to consider you a friend!" But before Kiku could answer his expression turned from happiness to seriousness, he stared straight into the mage's eyes that it was enough to make him uncomfortable "But I must ask you one thing Kiku, your dream, what plagues you that you wake up like that?" Now _that _was a touchy subject. He never told anyone about _it _and what it does to him, especially his nightmares- no scratch that- especially _that _one he just had, it didn't just scare him out of his wits but it confused him to no end, he usually understood what his nightmares meant, but this one had him stumped. And when he faced things he didn't understand, he rather think about it first than telling anyone.

The centaur beside him saw his hesitation, he sighed "Don't worry, I won't force you to, but it would be better if you talked about it, it gives you a small relief no? just tell me when you're ready. You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you'd like, your fever still hasn't run down that much yet, just call when you need us, we'll come as soon as we can" Antonio looked up when he heard the younger centaur curse loudly at something, he smiled and shook his head "I suppose that's my call to leave you to your thoughts Kiku, until later then" He started to walk out of the cave, but stopped to look back at the mage once "Oh Kiku?" The mage looked up at him "Yes?" He couldn't keep the tremor off his voice. Antonio sent him a concerned look before speaking up again "Sometimes a little problem can become bigger if they want to, and soon you'll find that everyone else will be dragged down with you…." With that being said, the centaur galloped out of the cave, calling out for his charge. Kiku wanted to call him back, ask him what he meant, but he was too far gone and his throat too sore for him to shout again. The mage swallowed and laid back down his makeshift bed, he could try to rest again, but he knew that every time he closed his eyes a new horror would await him and _it _will find another way to break him, _it _even came so close today.

But as the mage succumbed to his exhaustion and ill condition he was surprised, looks like _it_ did find a new way to torture him. He dreamed of a time when he was with his friends at the resistance, sharing stories while Alfred and Gilbert would start getting rowdy, laughing out loud at their own jokes while they danced on the table, Yao was beside him, muttering how he had to deal with such idiots daily, Matthew would laugh a bit before turning to him to apologize for his brother's behavior until said brother finally slips off the table and crashes down, bringing Gilbert down with him. The other resistance members in the building silently stared at their table before bursting out into laughter, the two on the floor joined in followed by Matthew and eventually Yao even if he just chuckled a little bit, Kiku on the other hand, stared at the ceiling. Yes this was torture, _it_ gave him happiness….

_**False **_happiness that is…..


End file.
